A Touch Of Silver
by Eboni
Summary: Monsters under the bed? The Boogie man? Maybe children aren't making them up maybe they can see something we can't, and some people don't lose that ability as they grow older.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Hi, this is my first ever Ronnin Warrior Fiction. I hate Mary Sue's and romance fics so I'll tell you that this is not one of those. It may sound like one cause there's a girl, but it's not about a relationship... and no she does not possess an armor or is a warlordess! And the story centers more around the Ronnin Warriors and their bonds together. Thank you for reading, please review!**  
  
A Touch of Silver  
  
  
Prologue  
  
"And this mother, is my dear friend... He shall be the one to help you, to heal you," the girl spoke softly stroking the pale thin woman lying on the hospital bed's hand. The girl sighed and frowned as she eyed all the machinery and tubes going in and out of her mother, "It won't be long, until you'll be free of this hell, and we'll go on with our lives as we always have." The girl stood rising to her full height, which was tall for a girl in this particular country, Japan. Why had they come to Japan? To find him... he could save her.... but at the expense of himself, and best of all, he would never know. The girl smiled to herself smoothing a silvery blond strand of hair behind her ear. She turned to look down at her mother, "I shall be back shortly Momma, and when I come back, I will have him with me... Then we can begin, and then you will be well again and we can leave this place." She felt a slight pain in her hand and realized she had been clenching her fists. The fist that ached was the one that held the picture... she slowly unfolded her hand and straightened out the crinkled photograph showing her a picture of a fine looking teenage male specimen, her prey... her sacrifice. It would be her first one.. She did not look forward to them,but in her future she saw that there would be many more. She shook her head and closed her eyes getting a fix on the person she would be seeking. She smiled as she felt his familiar aura, he was by no means anywhere near her, but she could sense him across long distances... His energy drew her to this place, and now his energy would take them out of this place too. She almost felt sorry for the boy..almost, "I can't be late for school now can I?" She chuckled to herself, tucking the picture away in her pocket and straightening her school clothes. She gave her mother a swift kiss and quickly exited the room.  



	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
"Sylvia, there you are," a tall handsome blond boy took her by the arm. Sylvia Talisman grinned with pleasure, enjoying the envious stares she was getting from the other girls that normally swarmed over Sage Date like bees around a hive. They honestly showed no shame in the way they pursued a boy they found attractive. Sylvia flashed a smile at a few of the girls who were shooting her death glares. She and Sage walked out of the cafeteria onto the soft grass of the schoolyard where there were many people sitting at tables or in the grass eating their lunches. A few people gazed up at them. They made a striking couple, and they both knew it. Being the only blondes in school made them stand out more prominently than their good looks, but their looks were nothing to turn away from. Sylvia looked up into Sage's pale grey eyes and felt her heart sink... He wasn't coming.  
"Sage, you promised!" Sylvia said immediately turning away from him, "You promised you'd come with me. I need you to be with me, someone to be with me!"  
Sage looked down at his feet, guilty, embarrassed. People were staring, "Sylvia I'm sorry.. I just... my friends and I..."  
"Sage, your friends? I asked you if you would come with me to see my sick mother in the hospital! I'm all she has and it tears me up to have to see her like that everyday...and today I actually thought I could have someone to go with me. To support me... to meet mother. She hasn't had any visitors except me..."  
"Your father.."  
"Is a deadbeat, everyone knows it. He left us for good and he's not coming back. He doesn't care that she's sick, and that she may be..." Sylvia broke off looking at the ground. When she looked back up at Sage her cornflower blue eyes were filled with tears, "Please Sage.. Just this once, and I'll never ask you again. It's just that.. Today's her birthday.."  
Sage cringed, "Oh God Sylvia.... I'm so sorry, I didn't.."  
"I know you didn't," Sylvia said in a soft voice, "Of course you didn't... but now you know. You want to come with me don't you, cause you're a sweet boy."  
Sage's grey eyes looked rather spacy at that moment, but after a second they cleared and he stared at her. God she was beautiful... Silvery hair upswept...wispy tendrils curling around her forhead barely brushing against her shoulders... Her face was one of an angels... How had he fallen in love with her? He was always careful around girls, they followed him and flirted with him endlessly...but he had never come to find someone he would consider his girlfriend.. And certainly no one that he...loved. But he felt sure that he loved Sylvia. The feeling was strange unusual, but it was there... it was there and whenever he wasn't with her he ached. He couldn't eat sometimes, couldn't sleep...And he would do whatever it was that she wanted. Anything for his angel... his silver angel...  
"I'll meet you after school then," Sylvia said in a soft voice smiling lightly, "You should go and try to find your friends and tell them you're mine for the afternoon..." With that she gave him a slight peck on the lips, careful to look out for any teachers or lunch monitors, before leaving to reenter the school building.   
Sage was left staring after her for a few moments as the fog in his head cleared. He had such a headache. He raised his hands to his temples to massage them, then he went on to do what Sylvia had willed him to. He had to break another date with his friends. He hoped it wasn't important.. Last time he had taken Sylvia out he had missed out on a minor battle. To say the guys were angry with him, would be an understatement. The darkness was back, Sage sensed it... It wasn't the Dynasty, but the evil was just the same, and all the villains want the same thing, world domination. Sage sighed as he neared the outdoor picnic table that contained his four friends... how was he going to break it to them this time?   
  
"Hey here comes Romeo himself," Kento Rei Faun, a broad shouldered boy with ash colored hair and brown eyes, raised a french fry to Sage as a salute as he neared the table. Sage offered him a weak grin and sat down beside Rowen Hashiba, a tall slender boy with blue hair and deep blue eyes, who had his nose buried in a book. Rowen gave Sage a nod of acknowledgement.   
"So where's Sylvia?" Cye Mouri asked leaning on his elbows. Cye moved some of his auburn hair out of his light blue eyes as he sighed, he had to admit he had had a crush on Sylvia Talisman when she first arrived at their school. He actually thought he'd had a chance with her, until she met Sage... After that, her eyes were for no one else... and Sage. Sage who no one thought would ever buckle down and accept a girl into his busy life on a steady basis, asked her to be his girlfriend.   
"The witch's probably fuming over Sage blowing her off tonight so he can hang out with us, the boys," Kento smirked smacking Sage on the back heartily.  
"Uh-oh," Ryo Sanada said studying Sage's downcast features. The raven haired leader had become very good at reading Sage's facial espressions when it came to something about "his" Sylvia. Ryo's dark blue eyes were filled with disbelief, "Please don't tell me she..."  
"It's her mother guys," Sage was beginning his explanation... another explanation!  
"Saaaaage!" Kento wailed, "Aw come on man. You're letting her run your life!"  
"I am not," Sage uttered, "It's just..."  
"Sage, since when have you done one thing with that girl that was actually something you wanted to do?" Ryo was trying to look Sage in the eye... the eye that was left uncovered by his mass of blond hair.   
"I'm happy just being with her... so everything we've done has been something I've wanted to.."  
"Sage, stop it with the bull," Kento interjected, "She has you wrapped around her..."  
"No she doesn't!"  
"...cute little pinky finger!" Kento finished inches away from Sage's angered face, "Tell her no for once! Stand up to her royal blondness!"  
"KENTO GET OUT OF MY FACE!" Sage shouted infuriated with his friend at that moment, "Stop talking about Sylvia! It's only one night, tomorrow I'll..."  
"Tomorrow, you said that yesterday making today tomorrow, huh?" Kento said making a face, "But you know what, Sage? Don't care anymore, don't care at all... If a night with a girl is more important to you than your friends..."  
"Kento, it's not... I'm just going with her to see her mother in the hospital. It's just for the afternoon," Sage groaned, "I couldn't say no to that, it means so much to her... and her Mom's not doing well, and she's all she has."  
Kento frowned sitting back in his seat looking rather ashamed.  
"In the hospital?" Cye asked curiously, "What is the matter with her?"  
Sage shrugged, "She's sick... that's all Sylvia will tell me. She and her mother came here because of her doctor."  
"And now she wants to introduce you to her mother? Just how serious are you two Sage?" Rowen asked, dog-earing his page and closing his book. Sage's mouth was a thin line as he chewed on his lip, he seemed uncertain... so un-Sage-like. Sage was the calm one, the one always in control.... maybe Rowen thought staring at him oddly, maybe he really was in love. Wasn't love known to make people behave strangely.   
"I don't know actually.. I was.. Was thinking about buying her a bracelet," Sage said thoughtfully," One with her name engraved on it... Silver, like her hair."  
Kento, Ryo, Rowen, and Cye all stared at him in shock, "My goodness Sage, the girl's gonna take that as a marriage proposal or something! Are you really THAT serious about her?"  
Sage looked hurt, "Yes... why do you look so shocked? You don't think Sylvia and I are good together?"  
"Well... we do it's just.... Sage you've never had a serious girlfriend, and now all of a sudden you're ready to up and marry a girl that just appeared a month ago?"  
"She's not just a girl, she's Sylvia!" Sage slammed his hand on the table, surprising everyone. Sage never expressed his emotions as freely as this. He stood in a huff, "I'll see you tonight. I'm gonna go."  
"Sage..." Ryo began, but let it go as he saw that it would do him no good. Sage was gone, walking away no doubt to find Sylvia.  
"This is just too weird," Rowen was saying pushing his book aside, "Sage is turning into a different person, all on the account of some girl... a girl we barely know."  
"He's her little slave, whip, leash, and all!" Kento grumbled, "I hate seeing a friend of mine being used in such a way. Sylvia's no good and I know it!"  
"You're just mad cause she turned you down, Kento," Ryo said with a chuckle.  
"No," Cye was shaking his head, "She turned me down too remember, and I don't hold a grudge... but there's still something about her that I don't like. And I don't think I like its influence on Sage either." Cye's British accented words burned themselves into Rowen's brain.  
"She does have an influence over him doesn't she?" Rowen asked turning to look at Cye. Cye frowned, "You've noticed too?"  
"Since the first day we met her. I've never seen Sage act that way, ever, and at first he was only like that around her... now it's different."  
"That's because she's found a way to keep him always around her," Kento sneered, then he looked curious, "Do you think they've done it yet?"  
"Kento!" Cye yelled.  
"What? I was just thinking ya know, if a girl were to have me in check like that, she'd ya know.. Maybe gave me something that would make me act like a fool in front of everyone... and you see all those girls Sage has around him? Well to have me ignoring that many potential dates and acting like a fool, she'd have to be good..."  
"Kento?" Rowen asked smoothly.  
"Yeah?" Kento said taking a huge bite out of his hero sandwich.  
"Have you ever done it?"   
Kento choked on his mouthful, "What?"  
"Didn't think so," Rowen said with a laugh, "and I doubt Sage has or is doing it either, so drop that notion."  
"I think he's just head -over- heels in love is all," Ryo said, "It's kinda nice, ya know. To see at least one of us starting to have a normal social life."  
"Ryo, hello dude? I would not call trailing along after some babe like a puppy a normal social life," Kento said in a flat voice.  
"You only wished you had some babe to trail after," Cye said batting his eyes innocently as Kento glared at him.  
"Oh well," Ryo shrugged, "I guess it's just us tonight. Who's up for bowling?"  
"That sounds cool. Maybe Mia will join us this time," Kento said polishing off his sandwich.  
"I sincerely doubt she will Kento, especially after what happened the last time..."  
"It was an accident, I didn't mean to throw the bowling ball backward it just happened!"  
"Yeah, and it landed on her foot. If that's not enough to give the girl bowling ball-phobia then I don't know what is," Rowen said he took a chip from Ryo's bag, "Count Mia out."  
"Man..." Kento groaned, "she'll never forgive me for that will she?"  
"Hmmmn..." the others appeared to be in deep thought, then, "No."  
"Great." 


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
"...and this Sage, is Mother," Sylvia led Sage into a dark room. There was one single bed inside surrounded by more machines than Sage seen in his 16 years. Sylvia walked towards the large window and opened the curtains shedding in some light, illuminating the bed. On the bed lie a thin blond woman. Her eyes were shut with large dark bags under them, her skin was white as milk, and her lips were pale.   
"Hello Mrs. Talisman..."Sage said slowly. He kept his distance from the bed only drawing nearer when Sylvia took him by the arm again and led him to the bed.   
"Go ahead, touch her..." Sylvia willed him, "That is the only way she'll know you're here."  
Sage shuddered at the thought of touching a half-dead woman, but stiffled it as he saw Sylvia's eyes on him. He slowly placed his hand on top of Mrs. Talisman's hand and felt a prickle... a stinging burning sensation. He blinked and retracted his hand quickly. "What the hell...?"  
Sylvia was not staring at Sage's hand... but at his forehead... a symbol had appeared there, its shape glowed, the eerie green light playing on Sage's exposed forehead. He really was the one... The Ronnin Warrior of Wisdom, the one with the power of healing and light. Sylvia smirked to herself, she had found him all by herself. Sure, his energy had led she and her mother to this place, but it was she, Sylvia, who had located the Transfer. Sylvia had to admit, she hadn't expected him to be so good looking, or so nice. She had also been surprised at how hard it had been to "charm" him. His will was strong, his mind very powerful... his psychic force was impressive, but not quite impressive enough. In the end, he had succumbed to her, like everyone else, and she would be the one to save her mother. She would show everyone who had had the nerve to tell her to give up, to let her mother go, that she had done it.   
"Syl, did you feel anything just now?" Sage was asking in a shaky voice, he was rubbing his sore palm.  
"No..." Sylvia said, her voice low and sad, "Sage, the doctors think she's going to die."  
Sage's grey eyes grew wide, "What?"  
"I'm gonna lose my mother Sage..." Sylvia stared at her boyfriend with tears in her eyes, "Hold me please."  
Sage gathered her in his arms immediately, "Doctors don't know everything Syl."  
"I know, I know.." Sylvia said, picking her words carefully, drawing them out just right. Her arms were behind his back around his waist. Carefully she used her right hand to reach into her left sleeve and pull out the needle. Slowly she uncapped the needle. Here it goes, she began to rub his back, rubbing so hard that his shirt began to rise with her motions revealing skin. She only needed a little blood, she only had to graze his skin a bit. She ran the sharp needle across the exposed skin of Sage's back. Sage flinched and tried to pull out of her embrace, but she held it, subduing him with a kiss, "It's ok, baby, just hold still a second longer."  
"But something's..."  
"Shh..." Sage was silent as Sylvia collected a big enough sample of his blood. She then let him go and recapped the needle, "I bet you're tired now Sage. Why don't you go home to get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow in school, and maybe, maybe we can come see mother again."  
Sage nodded, "I hope.. I hope your mother feels better..." he said oddly. He turned awkwardly and left.   
Sylvia grinned to herself.. Now it begins. We'll be out of here in no time Mom.  
  
"How was bowling?" Mia Koji asked as the four Ronnin Wariors, Kento, Ryo, Cye, and Rowen entered her home.  
"I won," Rowen said smirking at Kento who was scowling, "I let him."  
"Yeah, sure you did. But hey Kento, at least you didn't throw the ball backwards this time!"  
"Shut up Ro," Kento growled, "So is Romeo back yet?" Kento asked this as he was rummaging through the fridge.  
"Romeo? Sage?" Mia frowned stiring whatever it was she was making in the pot. It smelled wondeful, "Yes, he came in an hour and a half ago, he went straight to his room. He didn't look very well, I think he went to bed."  
"Probably had a figth with Sylvia..." Kento muttered, "Geez, bed already?"  
Mia nodded, "I'm making soup... I know I'm not Cye, but it should taste ok."  
Cye made a face at her, "Well I guess I could choke some down."  
Mia smacked him in the back of the head playfully, "You'll eat it and like it, now if someone won't mind going upstairs to see about Sage... I don't want to start dinner without him."  
Rowen was already heading to the stairs, "I'll get him."  
  
Rowen opened the door to the dark room he shared with Sage and clicked on the light. His roomate, he saw, was curled up on top of his bed still fully dressed, shoes and all. Rowen crept towards him and gave him a slight shake. Sage awoke with a start, his grey eyes snapping open and staring at Rowen. Rowen cracked a sly grin, "Good morning Sunshine, time for school."  
The grey eyes narrowed at him, "What time is it, Ro?" he groaned.  
Rowen chuckled lightly, nothing got past Sage, "7:30."  
Sage sat up slowly rubbing at his pillow creased face. Rowen was amused by his friend's rumpled state. He was never allowed the comic pleasure of seeing Sage anything less than perfect. Rowen was beginning to think Sage slept with a comb and a mirror and groomed himself even in sleep. No one could wake up with hair that perfect. Sage caught Rowen's look of amusement with a grim expression on his face, "What are you looking at?" He raised his hands to smooth his hair and slid off the bed. "I've got homework."  
"We're getting ready to eat dinner... Mia cooked," Rowen offered.  
Sage winced slightly and shook his head, "I'm not too hungry Ro."  
"Save some for later? Did you and Sylvia go and eat somewhere before you came back?" Rowen asked watching Sage scrambling around for a comb.  
"No, and no I came straight home, alone. I was tired..." Sage sighed, still sounding tired. He looked absolutely exhausted, and Rowen felt some concern for his pale friend.  
"Ok Sage," Rowen said slowly, "Are you feeling ok? You look like you're contemplating blowing chunks."  
Sage nodded absently, "I'm fine Rowen, Halo does not get sick, remember?"  
"Well Halo's certainly doing a good job of fooling me right now," Rowen said flatly, "and if you don't eat dinner tonight I'll know for sure."  
Sage glared at Rowen, "Rowen, you're trying my nerves..."  
"I'm getting to you, am I Sage?" Rowen asked Sage looking curious, "If you weren't coming down with something I wouldn't be getting to you right now. Now would I?"  
Sage groaned, "Rowen please... leave me alone about it. You're right, maybe I don't feel so well, but you don't have to make a big deal about it. I'm just gonna sleep it off, I'm Halo, remember? I heal people."  
Rowen sighed deeply, "Ok Sage, if you say so. You sure you don't want any soup?"  
Sage shook his head as he ran his comb through it, "No thank you."  
Rowen nodded and left the bedroom. 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Small sturdy hands stitched the back of the doll up. Sylvia smiled as she eyed her handiwork. The blond doll with blue eyes may have been far from an artistic work of art, but for Transfer Doll it was beautiful. She began to clear away her supplies, the empty bowl of blood taken from the syringe... Left over strands of blond hair still clung to the brush she was discarding into the plastic bag. Now all she had to do was charge it, and the transference would begin... and soon her mother would be healthy again. For all she needed was the young healing blood of the Warrior of Wisdom, the Warrior of Light... She frowned thinking of her beau... poor boy won't know what hit him. Does he really deserve this. Was it right for her to claim his life in exchange for her mother's? She groaned, clutching her head, she was never the best at making decisions... That's why she needed her mother, to make the decisions again... Yes, yea, of course she was doing the right thing. After all, a girl does need her mother... and Sage was strong.. He's a warrior, and not just any warrior, he was special. Maybe he's survive it somehow... maybe...  
"....Sage.... You getting up today?" Rowen rolled his eyes as he listened to the blaring of Sage's alarm clock on the other side of the room. It seemed to be getting louder for ever minute it wasn't acknowledged and turned off, "Sage!" Rowen groaned and dragged himself out of bed. He grumbled as he made his way to Sage's sleeping form. Rowen liked to sleep in until the last minute, he unlike Sage, did not need an hour and a half in the bathroom! But now he was up, and if he was to be up, then so would Sage! "Wake up!" Rowen shook Sage rather roughly. He was just a little grouchy...  
Sage moaned and slowly came awake, "What Ro? Oh damn.. Is it morning already?" Sage sat up in his bed slowly and reached to turn off his alarm clock. Rowen stood glowering over him, "Yes it is morning, and you interrupted my morning snooze! You want the shower first you better get in it now."  
Sage blinked and tried to clear the fog from his brain. He shook his head and ran his hand through his matted hair... He sighed, what was this feeling? He felt so drained, and lethargic, and his head was killing him. He rolled himself out of bed and trudged out of the bedroom to the bathroom that he and Rowen shared. He did not miss Rowen's snort as he crawled back under his blankets trying to salvage what was left of his sleep time.  
  
"Geez, you look like shit," Kento breathed staring at Sage as he sat down at the table to breakfast with the rest of them.  
"Well thank you Kento," Sage snapped. He stood up as soona s he sat down, "I'm gonna go on to school, see you guys later."  
"Sage wait, your breakfast!" Cye called after the retreating blond, "What was that?" Everyone looked to Rowen, if anyone would knew, it had to be him. Rowen shrugged looking ill-tempered, "I don't know."  
"Did you two have an argument?" asked Ryo looking at Rowen. Rowen scowled, "No."  
"Well damn, something went down in that room, cause the both of you are acting like you're on PMS," Kento said evenly, "Did it have anything to do with Sage's alarm clock going off for like 15 minutes?"  
Rowen's eyes flared to life, "You heard the damn thing too! Interrupted my sleep....Sleeping right next to the damn clock and the only one that didn't freakin' hear it. I had to get out of bed at 5:45 to wake his ass up..." Rowen stabbed his egg with his fork.  
"Damn, take notes you guys. Rowen is not the best person to wake before 7," Kento snickered, "Sage slept through his alarm clock?"  
"Damn skippy he did," Rowen grumbled, "I wish I could have too."  
Ryo chuckled at Rowen's crankiness, but secretly prayed that it would fade as the day wore on. A cranky Rowen was no picnic. "So what do we have planned to do tonight guys?"  
"Nothing," Cye said simply, "Did you want to try something?"  
"Uh-uh," Ryo interjected, "Guys' Nights are fun, but remember we have homework to do too! I've fallen behind in geography, and I know you guys have to be behind too..."  
"Not me," Rowen muttered ramming a piece of toast in his mouth.  
"Well, aside from the genius..." Ryo rolled his eyes.  
"You're right Ryo," Cye said thinking about his piling up assignments for calculus that he had carelessly laid to the side.  
Kento scowled, "Great.. Nerds.. Hey I wonder if Sage will let me go out with him and Sylvia. That'd be great. I'll have to ask him when I see him at school."  
Ryo and Cye laughed, "Sage is gonna knock your head in."  
"I'm counting on it. Sparring with him will at least give me something to do tonight!" Kento smirked and began filling his plate with thirds of breakfast, he had finished his seconds minutes earliers.   
"Kento, you are a true glutton for punishment."  
  
"Mother loved your visit Sage. The doctors say her charts have improved!" Sylvia was gushing on about the pleasing news of her mother's slow return to good health. Slowly her chatter died away as she gently stroked Sage's golden hair away from his face. He had fallen asleep on her shoulder listening to her talk. She smiled pityingly, "I'm so sorry Sage... you really are a nice boy, but she's my Mom." She had thought maybe he could survive the ceremony, maybe he could spare the life energy, but looking at him right then, she knew he would perish, that he would be a sacrifice.   
She felt the ever present glares of envious eyes probably dying to be able to run their fingers through the fine golden silk, mistakenly referred to as hair, on Sage's head. She felt butterflies of guilt in her stomach... She quickly killed the butterflies with the torrent of anger that ran through her body at herself. How could she be so stupid? How could she have known he was going to be so good-looking, so intelligent, so wonderful... She had feelings for him, she knew it, but what she was going to do about it she didn't know.  
  
It was well after dinner time when Sage came in that night. "Where've you been Sage?" Mia asked him as soon as he stepped through the door, "You didn't call or tell anyone you wouldn't be home before..."  
"I know, I know, I'm sorry," Sage said quickly.  
"We were worried something may have happened to you Sage," Mia said, "You always call... Now if it had been Kento, we wouldn't have been as worried, he always does things like this and forgets abot the people at home... but not you."  
Sage sighed, feeling rather annoyed by the guilt trip Mia was trying to send him on, "Mia, I said I was sorry. I lost track of time, and came home as soon as I realized how late it was."  
Mia raised an eyebrow at his tone of voice, but said nothing, "Go upstairs and let the others know you're back, they were about to go out and look for you."  
"Great," Sage groaned trudging up the stairs feeling guilty about how nasty he had been with Mia downstairs... she was only worried, and she was right. He usually did call... but he and Sylvia had been at the hospital all afternoon, and then they had gone out for dinner. Sage sighed, thinking about his full stomach, a stomach that had gotten full after a few bites of dinner, and he was so tired... Something was wrong with him, he knew it. He just didn't want to admit it to anybody. As soon as his feet his the top step Ryo was there to pounce on him, "Where the hell have you been?"  
Sage rolled his eyes heavenward, here we go...  
"He was with Sylvia again, weren't you Sage?" Kento first addressed Ryo's question directed at Sage, and then looked towards Sage for the answer to his question.  
Sage flushed, letting both Kento and Ryo know the answer to that question, "Sage, I mean it's cool that you're trying to have a life outside of duty... but Sage duty calls. You can't be out with her every night at all hours of the night. We have trouble, and we need you. You have already proved that you can miss a battle while you're out with Sylvia. Well what happens if there's another battle, a serious one and we need you, we need Inferno, and you're no where to be found cause you're at the mall with Sylvia?"  
"We were at the hospital," Sage muttered.  
"Sage, you spent all day in a hospital?"  
"No, just a few hours, after that I took her to get some dinner. She has no one to eat with. She usually eats in the hospital with her mother which is as good as eating alone, or she's home alone at her apartment."   
"Sage I know you care about Sylvia deeply, I mean I like her too, but you can't spend every waking minute with her, especially not in a hospital. That's unhealthy for you," Cye had appeared behind Ryo and Kento, " Too many feelings and emotions pass through hospitals; it's taking its toll on you, I can see it in your complexion."  
Sage almost smiled, Cye had given something to think about. Maybe he wasn't getting sick, maybe it was psychic strain from being in the hospital and having to bear so many thoughts and uncontrolled overwhelming emotions for hours on end.   
"Thank God," Rowen pushed through Ryo, Kento, and Cye to reach Sage and give him a quick hug, "Thought you'd been kidnapped or something. Since when do you forget to call home?"  
Sage shrugged, "I was just preoccupied."  
"Which is why you need to think about what I said earlier,"Ryo said flatly. Sage sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Are we finished yet?"  
Ryo's eyes widened at Sage's nerve, he shook his head, "Go to bed Sage, Cye's right, you look like shit." With that he walked off leaving the other four speechless staring after him.  
"Um Sage, for the record... I never said you look like shit," Cye said blinking and scratching his head at Ryo's temper.   
"Yeah, I did," Kento said, "Remember?"  
Sage nodded, "Yeah I do.. And I think I already thanked you for it too." He walked through Cye, Rowen, and Kento, going to his room.  
"Well, isn't eveyone in such a lovely mood this evening?" Kento said sarcastically earning himself two glares from Cye and Rowen, "Kento?"  
"Yeah."  
"Shut the hell up."  
  



	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Sage groaned and tossed in bed that night. He just couldn't seem to get comfortable enough to fall asleep, and Lord knew he was tired. He rolled over and spied his roomate sound asleep. Damn him. Sage rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, his tired body parts and drowsy mind crying out to him to sleep, let them rest. But he couldn't sleep. He'd shut his eyes and nothing would happen. He finally gave up, against his body's furious complaints, he sat up and got out of bed. He gazed out at the window he and Rowen sometimes left open. Tonight they had closed the panes but had left the curtain and blinds drawn. He walked to the window and pressed his hands against the cold glass, he gazed up at the starry sky with a sigh. He then directed his gaze down to the garden, its beauty could be well appreciated in the day, but at night it was creepy. Sage shuddered, he saw a shadow move, What was that? He quietly opened the window and a cold breeze slapped him in the face, but he still leaned out the window to inspect the shadow, stretching out his sense... Ryo. His grey eyes adjusted to the darkness quickly and allowed him to locate Ryo's exact position. Unfortunately for Sage, though his gift allowed him much insight into other people's whereabouts and intentions, it also could some times alert someone of his presence if he wasn't careful, like now. Ryo stepped out into a shaft of moonlight where his body was illuminated making it almost impossible for someone not to be able to identify him, unless they were blind. Ryo raised his head to spy Sage gazing at him from upstairs. He gave him a slight nod of his head and gestured for him to come down. Sage smiled and waved, letting Ryo know he'd be right down. He shut the window, maybe a walk could help his insomnia.  
  
"What are you doing up?" Ryo asked him as soon as Sage neared him. He had put on a sweatshirt and jeans. Sage sighed, "Hi to you too."  
Ryo flashed a small smile, "Hey, I'm sorry for earlier when I bit your head off."  
Sage shrugged, and he and Ryo began to walk through the garden and past the gates that led out into the woods, "I was just worried ya know, cause you usually call and say where you are. You're just responsible like that." He paused and sighed, "Or you used to be responsible like that. Now Cye says you're lovesick and don't know which way is up and which way is down... Sage, bad stuff is going down again... It may be the Dynasty, or it may be something else...but we need you to be focused. Sage, you may not know this, but you're as important to the group as I am, you're the calm one, and you're the strategizer. Rowan may be a genius, but you're quicker at figuring things out than he is."  
Sage was silent as he gazed at the stars and listened to Ryo's words, "You're flattering me with your compliments Ryo," Sage joked dryly.  
"Sage, I'm not joking around with you..."  
"I know," Sage interrupted him, "I get what you're telling me. You want me to get my head out of the clouds and back into the game."  
Ryo did smile then, "Yeah, yeah that's it. And I'm not saying you shouldn't go out with Sylvia... just maybe not everyday, and maybe not for so long."  
Sage nodded, of course, being a Ronnin Warrior was his duty, his life's calling.. Having a life... well, that was different, and in his world, unimportant.   
"Sage?"  
"Yes Ryo?" Sage asked turning to look at Ryo, his blue eyes were serious. Sage wondered how his own eyes looked? Serious, as usual...or drugged, cause that was how he was beginning to feel. He shivered a bit, and it was starting to get chilly.  
"I'm glad you understand and don't think I'm trying to..."  
"Ryo, this is our destiny. We have been given special powers to use to save our world... We have to take advantage of that. If the world falls, it's on our hands. Do you think I want to responsible for that?" Sage's grey eyes were threatening to close, his lids were so heavy. Why couldn't he fall asleep in bed? No... instead he's got to fall asleep outdoors. Sage wondered if this was the sort of thing where he would be tired out here talking to Ryo, and be wide awake again once it's time to get back into bed..   
Ryo nodded, "I knew you would understand... Lord, I will hate trying to have this talk with Kento, or Cye. Kento would just get angry and yell at me and stalk off being even more rebellious than ever.. And Cye, that hopeless romantic would go all sad and depressed even. You and Rowen, well you guys are... I don't know, you just seem more mature than they are... maybe even more so than I, sometimes. I really am glad you have Sylvia in your life now Sage, it's wonderful to see you start opening up to someone, and looking happy all the time. I wish I could find someone like her who would have that same effect on me. Keep her around Sage, for as long as you can. She's good for you man, just don't let her become too good when she starts interfering with your duties."  
Sage nodded stifling a yawn, "Thanks Ryo."  
Ryo patted him on the shoulder, "Sage?"  
"Yes?"  
"You cold?"   
Sage frowned at the question, then realized he was shivering slightly. He tried to control it but his body still shook, ignoring his commands, "A little."  
"You should go back inside," Ryo said. Sage nodded slowly and bid Ryo good night. He began to trudge back to the house when Ryo called over his shoulder, "Hey Sage?"  
"Mmhmm?"  
"What I said earlier? Well, you really do look like shit. Go to bed," Ryo laughed lightly and continued on deeper into the woods feeling the burn of Sage's glare on his back.  
  
"This is taking too long," Sylvia paced around the darkened hospital room. She gazed out the window and shuddered, the darkness outside... They were coming... Oh Goddess, They were coming. How did They find them? How did They know they were here? Sylvia walked beside the bed and gripped her mother's hand, "Mommy, you have to wake up soon. They've found us. I thought you said we'd lost Them. I thought you said we could get away! They're coming for us! I can feel Them, just like you taught me too. It grows cold in this world, and the night falls too fast. They'll be here soon, Mommy, and when they come, if you're not well, we're going to die. I don't know what to do to speed up the process, maybe..." Sylvia left her mother's side and walked to the drawer beside the bathroom door. She opened the bottom drawer and carefully removed all of her mother's clothing from the drawer revealing a dark leather bound book. She lifted the book with a grunt and set it down on the floor. She quickly put all her mother's clothes back in the drawer, lest a nurse were to come in and check up on her late that night. Sylvia took the book to the window seat hoping the moonlight woul dbe enough for her to read by, because she did not want to risk disturbing her mother by turning on the lamp beside the bed. She opened the old book, hearing its binding yawn from old age. She thumbed throughh the pages trying to find the one that she had marked. There it was.. Transference. She read and reread the spell. She had done everything right, and exceeded normal standards by transfering from an individual with healing powers. The only thing she could do was wait. She sighed, life wasn't easy for a witch... especially a Weald. All her life she had never known a single place, a single country, a single world, as her home. Her kind was always, forever, running from the Darklings. Sylvia's memories ran back centuries, trying to locate one single place that they had been able to live for longer than a few cycles. None came in to play. And now she and her mother were the last of their race that was left... Sylvia, though old in the standards of this world, was still just a child in hers. She still needed her Elders' guidance and protection... she needed her Mom, but if her Mom didn't get well soon, Sylvia knew she would have to run herself, and leave her own Mother behind. She felt a tear wetting her cheek, she had done everything right, it should work! She closed the book and brought it and her knees to her chest and cried silently, Please... Please Isis, hurry the process, we must get out of here. Please Isis, I need her.  
She turned her head slightly leaning it against the cool window pane, the dark clouds outside loomed over the brightening horizon, hurry.  



	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
"Seiji..." Rowen was beginning to get very, very annoyed with his friend... WHO WAS STARTING TO SLEEP THROUGH HIS ALARM CLOCK EVERY DAMN MORNING! "Wake up!" Rowen shouted directly into Sage's ear, startling the blond, and causing him to spring from the bed onto the floor with a clump.   
"OW! Dammit Rowen!" Sage cried rubbing his rear. Rowen said nothing, he just struck the button that would turn the alarm off, "Next time if you don't plan on waking up, DON'T set it!"  
Sage sat on the floor looking stunned and angry. He shivered lightlyand rubbed his gooseflesh covered arms, "It's cold."  
Rowen narrowed his eyes, "I wouldn't be cold if I was still under my blanket." He grumbled some more and crawled back into bed. Sage sighed and gathered himself off the floor. He was so tired and achy. He streched and moaned at the pain it brought him in his shoulders. Maybe a hot shower will help, he thought and headed for the bathroom, careful not to slam the door and risk disturbing the Ro-beast.  
  
"I've been doing some research..." Mia was saying as Sage came down the stairs. Had he taken that long in the shower? Ryo and Cye were already downstairs, "Morning Sage."  
Sage nodded to her and sat down at the table to hear the rest of the discussion, "That demon you were fighting, that you defeated, well from what you've told me, and from the research I have done, I have reason to believe that it was no demon."  
"What?" Ryo moved forward in his chair to study Mia, "Then what was it? It looked like a demon if I've ever seen one."  
Cye agreed. Sage had nothing to say, for he had never seen the demon, he had been at the mall with Sylvia. He blushed and bowed his head realizing how ridiculous his excuse for not aiding in the battle had been. It had been a good excuse at the time, well to him it had been.   
"I have good reason to believe it was a familiar," Mia said simply.  
"A familiar?" asked Cye, "What is that?"  
"A familiar is a witch's pet almost. They take in an animal, or conjure up something from the Earth and it is linked to them. They draw power from them..."  
"Well what we fought was no animal..."  
"It was a conjured familiar. Sometimes the witch may need something right away and he'll take something small and alter its form," Mia said.  
"Mia, that's superstition. Witchcraft? Is that what you're asking us to believe in?" Ryo asked incredulously.  
"Well Ryo, I don't see why it should be so hard for you to believe. After all, you are the ones that fights Neather-spirits and call up mythical armor."  
Ryo opened his mouth about to comment but stopped himself. He was silent for a moment, "Ok. Ok, so why would this witch set her familiar out on us?"  
"I don't know," Mia said with a sigh, "It could be something as simple as territory, or it could be something serious. I'm not familiar with this type of thing, and we can't possible figure out more, until there is another occurrence."  
"So we have to wait until we get into another fight before we know what to do?" Cye asked with a wince.  
Mia nodded, "I'm at a loss here guys, and I'm sorry. After classes today, I'll see if I can get to the library and do some more research, and maybe get online."  
Ryo nodded, "Thank you Mia, we appreciate you."  
Mia smiled and blushed slightly as she gazed into Ryo's blue eyes. He never saw her as anything more than an older sister she sighed. But there were sometimes that she wished he would see her as something more. She stood in a fluster and began to gather her papers, "Ok, I've got an early class and I probably won't see you guys again until this evening. Hopefully I'll have something for you then." She turned to leave, then turned back, "Sage, are you alright?"  
Sage jumped a bit, had he dozed off? "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."  
"You sure?" Cye asked gazing at him for real for the first time. He looked paler than he had the day before, and he had never had a tan complexion to begin with.   
Sage rolled his eyes, "Yes, I'm sure."  
Mia frowned at him, Sage was a tricky one to figure out. He was nice yes, but unlike she and the others, she had never been able to connect with him in a special way. He was always so guarded, so cool and collected. Sometimes he could actually make her nervous, the way he knew more about a situation than what he was told. The way he sometimes knew what others were going to say before they said it... the way he could see what others couldn't. He was the bearer of Halo, Warrior of Wisdom, the healer. It was rare for him to be ill. While the others suffered from colds and viruses, Sage always managed to stay immune. But looking at him right then, she wasn't so sure if his immunities were so absolute, maybe Halo could get sick.  
"You don't look so good bro," Ryo was saying, "and you're shaking. Maybe you should take the day off and get some more rest."  
Cye was nodding, "You look tired. I could make you some soup and then you ca..." Cye broke off as Sage was standing. He ran a hand through his golden locks, "Guys I wanna let you know that I appreciate your concern, but I'm ok. I gotta meet Sylvia before school, so I'll see ya," Sage retreated to the back door.  
"Damn," Ryo cursed after him, "I swear that kid."   
Cye kinda smiled after him, "I think it's sweet how he's so devoted to Sylvia."  
Mia smiled as well, it was sweet, and it also softened her view of Sage. She never disliked him, as she thought before, he was nice, but cool and impersonal. She personally figured the only real connection any of the Ronnins had with him was their armors, but they acted as if the connection was something different. But Sage in love made him different, more like a person, a scatterbrained person, but a person.   
"Morning all!" Kento announced as he bounded into the kitchen, "What's for breakfast?"  
"Whatever you're making Kento," Cye chuckled leaning back in his chair, "Cook's on strike this morning."  
"What?" Kento looked horrified, he turned to Mia, to see her leaving, "Good bye Kento," she giggled.  
"NOOOOO!" Kento cried sounding anguished, "What am I to do?!! I have to eat! I'll wither away if I don't!"  
"There's a such thing known as cereal Kento," Cye said pouring milk over his own bowl.  
"But... but... I can't just have cereal! I have to have waffles and eggs, bacon and sausage!"  
"There's the stove, hot shot," Cye said smoothly spooning up his cereal and putting it into his mouth, "Mmmmm..."  
"Awww man!" Kento groaned and went into the pantry to extract some cereal. He pulled out three boxes, "This will do for now... I guess I'll just have to get a big lunch."  
Rowen came downstairs and sat down just in time to see Kento ripping the tops off of three different boxes of cereal and pouring them all into a large bowl together and adding the last of the milk (which was half a qallon.)   
"Ok, so just what is it that I'm supposed to have for breakfast Oh Greedy One," Rowen said flatly eyeing the empty cereal boxes and the empty milk jug.  
"Umm..." Kento actually looked guilty about it, he offered Rowen some of his cereal...some of his mixed already moist cereal that he had already taken a bite out of. Rowen made a face, "Ok, toast and coffee it is."  
"Well aren't you in a wonderful mood Rowen. Lemme guess, Pretty Boy's alarm clock woke ya up again?" Kento spoke with his mouth full of cereal.  
Rowen shot Kento a deathly glare, "I'm turning it off after he goes to sleep tonight. He'll never know." Rowen rubbed his palms together with a devious light in his midnight blue eyes.   
"Hey Rowen, do you think something's wrong with Sage?" Cye asked as Rowen popped two pieces of bread in the toaster and poured himself some coffee.  
"Do I think something's wrong with... YES! I think he's an insane.."  
"No," Cye laughed, "No, I mean seriously."  
Rowen sipped his coffee and grimaced, "Mia made this didn't she?"   
Ryo nodded with a smirk, there were only two things in the world that could compete with Mia's coffee... tar and mud. Ryo opted for the mud.   
"I think he's coming down with something, he admitted he wasn't feeling so hot a day ago," Rowen said with a shrug, "Why, is he giving you a hard time?"  
Cye looked at the ceiling Ryo cleared his throat.  
Rowen chuckled, "Talk to Sylvia, you get Sylvia to say something to him about it and he'll be in bed sucking lemons."  
Kento laughed, "I'd gladly be in bed sucking lemons for her... but she'd have to be in it with me." Kento sat back looking dreamy, a milk moustache looming over his upper lip.  
"Kento?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Give up the dream, that one will never become a reality!" Ryo said, "And the moustahce is not working."  
"Hey! She would so give me a chance if Prince Blondie weren't around. And what moustache?"  
Cye shrugged, "No moustache. Ryo what are you talking about?"  
"The mil... oh, oh," Ryo winked at Cye, and looked back at Kento, "It's right there can't you see it!"  
"Ryo, stop teasing him!" Cye said sounding annoyed.  
Kento frowned at the both of them and shrugged, he went back to his cereal, making both Ryo and Cye laugh, "What?"  
"Nothin.'"  
  
"There go the lovebirds... but look at all the hungry vultures dying to get a taste of what they have," Cye remarked as he and Kento watched Sage and Sylvia walking to class hand in hand, Sage carrying her books and his backpack. There were maybe twelve jealous girls all pretending to be fixing their make up in their locker mirror, but really spying on the two. Their eyes were practically green with envy.  
Kento snorted, "God, they act like Sage is the only guy here... like there's no one else for them to look at or talk to. I was thinking about dying my hair blond Cye, and getting grey contacts, and losing my personality for a while."  
Cye blinked, "You're being a little harsh Kento."  
"Well I don't see what the girls find so interesting about Sage, I mean maybe they like him to look at, but he's not much to hold a conversation with..he's too..."  
"Dreamy?"  
"Dreamy? Cye?!" Kento looked very worried at that instant and began to move away from his friend.  
"Oh goodness no!" Cye exclaimed once he realized why Kento was behaving so strangely, "I mean, Sage may look serious all the time, but he daydreams a lot. It's hard to hold a conversation with him cause he tends to drift."  
Kento blinked and moved closer to Cye, "Blondie daydreams? I mean I know he does now with Sylvia... but before?"  
Cye nodded with a slight smile, "Never got past the eyes of steel, huh?"  
Kento was laughing to himself, "So Blondie's not perfection?"  
"No," Cye said with a smile, "I take it you've never stumbled across Romeo's poetry."  
"Poetry?" Kento was trying very unsuccessfully to hide his guffaws, "Poetry!"  
"It's about dungeons and dragons, princesses and fairies, a lot of magic and renaissance fashioned ideas," Cye said with a shrug, "It's really quite good, and I wish he'd stop hiding it."  
"Hiding it? Cye you..?"  
"Rowen stole something of mine and I was searching for it... I happened across the journal once or twice..." Cye smiled mischievously.  
"Alright, wait til I rub this in," Kento was cheering doing a little dance, "Suddenly going to class doesn't seem half as bad anymore."  
  
Sylvia sat in her Literature class watching Sage sleep with his head down behind his book, Poor thing... She knew it wouldn't be long, and she had a feeling if she had found anyone else they would be bedridden by then... but Sage was strong willed. He was a good choice... she should have been proud knowing she had been able to locate this wonderful target all by herself, and completing a complicated spell, and she was only a novice, a child in the Craft. But she felt guilty and sad.... He was such a beauty for her eyes to behold, and he was so good, filled with so many wonderful dreams. Sylvia had seen them... he had even written her poetry. Beautiful sonnets that made her flush with pleasure. She had never had a boyfriend before, she being the last of her kind next to her mother, there were no boys, and to mix with human blood would be intolerable. She didn't see what would be so intolerable about it, she reached over to gently run her fingers through his hair. She felt the glares and prepared her smile that created, more hatred on her behalf.   
"Ahem, Ms. Weald, Mr. Date, am I boring you too much?" The profesor was gazing directly at the couple, and Sylvia felt her blood boiling. Why did humans always feel the need to stare when someone else was being publically humiliated?   
"Actually yes," Sylvia spoke up fueled by her anger, and multiplying the number of stares glancing her way, "Why don't we read a different kind of story? I'm sick of the ones where witches are all characterized as evil, ugly, hags. They're women!"   
"Ah, so we feel the need to question the curriculum Ms. Weald?"   
"Yes, WE do," Sylvia said back, "I refuse to read another horrible story!"  
"Hmmn, well Ms. Weald, the only way you will not read another horrible story, as you say, is by getting out of this class. You can start that today, good bye Ms. Weald... oh and on your way out, wake up Mr. Date."  
Sylvia fumed silently, as her rage boiled the a classroom window flew open bringing in a breeze that blew all of the professor's papers from his desk in a small cyclone. Some of the students gasped and others giggled, stifling it when the professor glared their way. Sage woke with a start, "What the...?" His grey eyes took in the chaos at the front of the room, then his eyes trekked to Sylvia who was gathering her things and straightening her skirt, "Where are you going?"  
"Home, I've been given the period off," Sylvia said in a haughty manner, she saw the smiles of satisfaction as she was about to leave her boyfriend alone... with the hungry pack.... To smear their smiles Sylvia grabbed Sage by the collar, he looked as shocked as anyone else, his eyes flying open wide and pupils dilating. She pulled his face to her and she kissed him as passionately and deeply as she could, feeling absolute delightment when he responded so quickly, in class, in front of everyone! The gasps were incredible, there were some hoots and hollers from the boys in the room, "Go Sage!"  
Sylvia felt herself being pulled away from Sage's soft lips roughly and she looked into the angry eyes of her teacher, "Young lady, you've just gotten yourself in deep trouble, get your things, and go to the office," he growled. Sylvia simply snorted and flipped her silvery hair over her shoulder, she had chosen to wear it down that day so it brushed just below her breast. She gathered her books and stalked out of the classroom with no intention what-so-ever of going to the office.  
"Young man," Sage bowed his head, but couldn't help smiling, whoah... he'd never been kissed like that before.. And by Sylvia of all girls. He was wide awake now, he had been so tired earlier, now he felt he could run laps. "I disapprove of your behavior greatly, but since you've been a good student this year, I will let you slide. Just stay awake in my class!"  
Sage nodded, "Yes sir," he must have said it a little too cheerfully and the smile on his face must have been too big, cause his teacher glared at him. The girls looked on with poison in their eyes. They now hated Sylvia Weald and they would see to her downfall.  
  
"Are we gonna walk or take the bus?" Ryo was asking his three friends, Cye, Rowen, and Kento after school   
"You could ride and I could drive," suggested Sage's soft voice, he walked, or rather floated, over to his friends.  
"Sage? You mean you're not with Sylvia this afternoon?" Rowen demanded.  
"What happened, did you two fight?" Kento asked looking excited, maybe he would have his chance.  
Sage shook his head, his goofy grin widening and he laughed, "No, not at all..." He glided past them pulling out his car keys and swinging them around his ring finger, he hummed to himself.   
Ryo, Cye, Kento, and Rowen gapped at him, "What the...?"  
They followed him to his car and waited for him to unlock the doors, "Sage, you're scaring us, what happened?"  
Sage simply smiled and started the car, "Sage!!"  
"She kissed me."  
"Sylvia? So, she kisses you all the time..."  
"No, she KISSED me! Right in the middle of class she just grabbed my shirt and tried to eat me alive... I would have gladly given her the salt and pepper," he leaned back in the driver's seat in a state of euphoria. He sighed, "Then Professor Huynh broke it up...the jerk."  
Ryo blinked at Sage calling a teacher out of name, "You think he's jerk cause he interrupted your smootch fest during the middle of his class?"  
"Yeah.." Sage said dreamily, he sat up and gave the car a little gas, then put it in drive.  
"Hey Romeo, are you gonna be able to drive with your head in the middle of Cloud 9, I don't wanna end up in no tree," Rowen said from the passenger seat gazing at his lovestruck friend, "I can drive," Sage said with a chuckle.   
"Lets just hope he can," Kento muttered.  
"I said I can drive," Sage repeated a little more loudly, overhearing Kento's comment.  
"Damn."  



	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
"You're sick," Rowen was saying to Sage who was shaking his head and insisting that he wasn't, "You're sick," Rowen repeated.  
"I'm not, it's just something I ate," Sage was saying in a weak voice as he moved the trash can from his face.  
"Something Cye cooked could not make anyone sick.."  
"Maybe I'm allergic to something," Sage was tying up the disgusting trashbag and heading out in the hall to the bathroom to rinse out his mouth. Rowen followed him, "You've eaten it before and didn't puke."  
"Maybe he added a different spice," Sage said filling the sink with water.   
Rowen looked at Sage doubtfully, "I think you should face it buddy, you are sick." Rowen tried to lay his hand on Sage's forehead, but Sage shrank away, "Leave me alone Rowen, and I'm not sick. And I don't need you going and telling the others what you think!"  
"Sage, why are you being so stubborn about this? You're going to make yourself worse if you go on like this!" Rowen followed Sage out of the bathroom. Sage walked quickly with his head down running into Kento. Sage rebounded off Kento back into Rowen grabbed Sage by the shoulder and Sage struggled to shake him off.  
"What the hell is going on?" Kento eyed the two roomates.  
"Nothing," Sage snapped glaring at Rowen and breaking away. He went back to their room and slammed the door.  
"Well?" Kento looked at Rowen expectantly.  
"He's sick," Rowen said flatly, then he went into the room to and closed the door.  
"If they're the mature ones then I'd sure hate to know what the others think about me," Kento snorted.  
  
Rowen sat crossed legged on his bed reading his biology text, every now and again he would glance over at his roomate who was doing homework of his own. "Sage, you can take the extra blanket folded up on the foot of my bed if you're cold." He hated watching him shiver like that.  
He saw Sage's face twitch, "Thanks..." Rowen waited a few minutes, "Sage, look I'm sorry if I was a little pushy before, but you're my best friend and I worry about ya."  
Sage nodded, "It's ok Rowen. I shouldn't have gotten so mad either..." He stood slowly and made his way over to Rowen's bed and sat down beside him, "I...I think I'm running a fever. Can you tell?"  
Rowen put down his book and pressed his hand to his friend's forehead, right when Ryo was cracking open the door, "Hey guys... Mia has some stuff for us to look over... What's wrong with Sage?" Ryo frowned and came further into the room.  
"You are burning up," Rowen told Sage touching his cheeks and confirming the heat, "He's running a fever."  
"Oh man, of all the times!"  
Rowen's eyes blazed with heat, "Well geez Ryo, he's sorry his illness is interfering with your plans."  
"No, I mean... We have a new enemy...." Ryo said approaching the bed and touching Sage's face as well, "Damn... you do feel pretty warm."  
Sage let his head droop forward, "Great...I haven't been sick since I was a little kid!"  
Rowen chuckled at him, "Come on," he cast a glare at Ryo, "Fearless Leader needs us downstairs."  
Ryo's mouth dropped open, ok, he guessed he deserved that. He walked behind Rowen and Sage as they left their room and headed for the stairs.   
  
"Ok, according to my research, the familiar that you saw was not of a witch...It was also not of this world," Mia said sitting before the five Ronnin Warriors, "There seems to be a lot of research done in the area of the paranormal dealing with the category of Witches. It appears that there haven't been any natural born witches in our world for a long time now, the ones we have are visitors from other realms... not like the Nether Realm, more like alternate dimensions, or worlds that lie parallel to our own. There are 7 not including our own and the Nether Realm, according to Norse Mythology. Um, Vanaheim, which is the world of primal water and plenty. Alfhiem, world of light and air, Jotunheim, the world of primal storms, Muspelheim, the world of primal fire, Hel, which is the underworld, Svartalhiem, the subterranean world, and Niflhiem, land of ice and shadows. Well most witches dwell on Alfiem with the light elves and other benevolent spirits and elemetals, and then there are the ones that come from Niflhiem. There are two breeds of Witches that originate there, Witch and Warlock, or Darkling. The Witches are primarily good in nature, and can live among humans without problems if they so choose, and most do, because being from Niflhiem they are usually shunned from the other 7 worlds. Witches from Niflhiem are generally good, but there is a darkness about them that can errupt at anytime, a ruthlessness, in anger, in sadness... Now the Warlocks or Darklings, are evil. Their evil is not by choice, their primary purpose for being created, is to wipe out the Witches, all of them. They want the Witches gone so that they may rule their dimension and have no interruptions or interference in the attempts to cloud all of the worlds. Being from the same world the Witches and Darklings can match power so the Witches are the Darklings' most dangerous rivals."  
"Well the Darklings have an advantage over the Witches being that they are evil and utterly ruthless, so they have succeeded in killing a lot of Witches, in fact, the Witch number is very dwindling, and with the appearance of that familiar you say you saw... it was a Darkling's familiar, it can be identified by its disfigured appearance... I believe that the last of the Witches are here in hiding, and the Darklings have tracked them down and are seeking them out."  
"So are they of any concern of ours? It seems like their task is just to annihilate the Witches... The only reason they attacked us is because we got in the way," Kento shrugged, "So our vacation isn't over."  
"Kento, I don't care if they're not from our dimension, any innocent bloodshed is our fight!" Cye was arguing, "Why should they die for a stupid territorial reason... and in case you weren't listening Kento. These Warlocks are taking these Witches out because they seem to be the only ones who can stop them from conquering other worlds.. Including ours! It sounds like our fight to me."  
"But if they are only a few left what can they do to stand against them?"  
"Well if these Warlocks, Darklings, or whatever are so dead bent on getting the last of the Witches than it is very obvious that there must be something these Witches can still do against them in their sparse numbers," Rowen said, "Maybe they're trying to repopulate or something?"  
Kento snorted, "Well if the Witches are the only ones who can do something against these Darklings, even in their 'sparse numbers,' what makes you think we can help oh genius?"  
"I don't know Kento, maybe we can delay them or something!" Rowen said beginning to sound annoyed with Kento's attitude.  
"Or maybe... may we could find the Witches before they do," Sage spoke up for the first time. He sat on the couch beside Rowen looking patient and serene.  
Ryo blinked, "That's an idea. We can tell the Witches they're on to them and maybe help them do whatever they need to, to get rid of the Darklings."  
"Hey, if it's repopulation..."  
"Kento!"  
"What, I was just saying if they're cute I'll gladly help out," Kento said with a smile, hoping to amuse the others and improve their sour attitudes with him, "But seriously, what if these Darklings have no intention of harming us, and our interference changes their minds and they start messin' up our stuff!"  
"Kento that's selfish," Cye started.  
"It is not! If they have no intent of destroying and taking over our world, then why give them one!" Kento said folding his arms over his chest.  
"Ken.."  
"He's got a good point," Ryo said rubbing his chin, "We have to think about our world Cye."  
"Ryo...!" Cye sat back looking anguished, "These are lives..."  
"The lives of 5 or 6.. Compared to the lives of billions Cye," Ryo said with a sigh, "I know it sounds bad, but Cye, we have to think statistics and about our own safety."  
"It..."  
"It is about our own safety Ryo..." Sage said in a small voice, "These things are bad, and what makes you think that they're just going to pass on through after their done with the Witches? Their darkness is great, and they'll destroy everything it touches." His eyes had fixed themselves beyond them, to the window at the dark swirling clouds outside.  
Ryo glanced at him, and frowned, "How do you know?"  
Sage blinked and looked back at Ryo, snapping out of his daze, "I feel it now. I've been feeling it all week, but I...never really noticed it, until now." He looked sheepish.  
Ryo groaned, "I knew it!"  
"Knew what?" Kento was confused.  
"Sylvia again?" Rowen questioned, "Damn Sage, she has you so whipped she clogs your senses too? Damn, I need a woman." Rowen slouched back on the couch, "Sylvia got friends, sisters, cousins?"  
Sage raised an eyebrow, "I don't think she does..."  
"Guys! Serious discussion going on here!" Ryo snapped them back to attention, "Sage, you're gonna hate me, but no more Sylvia."  
"Come again?" Sage looked at Ryo, his grey eyes swirling with his pent in rage.  
"I tried to be nice about it... but you're no good to us while you're with her, and until this thing is over, you can't see her," Ryo said, he sounded apologetic, but he had to think of the group first. Sage this distracted could get them all hurt or killed...and also kept valuable information from them.   
"Just who the hell do you think you are? Who died and maid you my monarch?! You can't tell me what to do, and when to be involved with someone! You've lost your mind!"  
"No, you've lost yours!" Ryo countered, "I'm trying to help you reclaim it! You're a certified air-head as long as she's in your life! Air-heads can get themselves hurt, and get others killed. You're a Ronnin Warrior Sage, we talked about this. You told me that you know that this is your calling, and that your duty as a Warrior comes before anything else. It is your destiny."  
Sage rose to be face to face with Ryo, "I said that Ryo... I know what I'm supposed to do. I know where my priorities should be... But dammit Ryo I need a life! I've heard the whispers, I've seen the way you all look at me sometimes, like I'm cold, heartless... You think I don't care about anyone. You think I'm here and friends with you because I have to be. You think the armors are the only thing that holds us together," he looked to Mia, and she shivered. How in the hell did he know?   
"Well I'm not! I'm not good at showing it, but I'm not a heartless son-of-a-bitch so quit thinking it about me!" Sage's chest heaved in and out and his face was red, he looked at all the shocked faces in the room.  
"Sage..." Rowen was beginning, reaching out to calm his friend, Sage pulled back, "You know, I never thought that."  
"You didn't.. But they did, they all did," Sage was shaking his head, "I...I can't take this anymore. I'm going home! I'm packing up my stuff and I'm freakin' going home!"   
"You can't do that! I know you're upset with us, with me, but this is our world we're talking about! You're acting like a child!" Ryo was shouting grabbing Sage by the arms and restraining him from moving any further toward the stairs.  
"So you want me to be the heartless cold bastard again?" Sage asked in a quieter voice, only quieter in volume, but not in fury, "You only seem to like him when it's battle time, eh Ryo? I'm who you depend on to be the one with the level head and straight forward manner. I'd take down my own mother to get to the enemy. That's how you view me, or did view me."  
"Sage..." Ryo's voice was pleading as he struggled to hold him.  
No one refuted any statement he had made except Rowen, meaning it was all true. He had known, he could feel it, but he never let it get to him. In fact, it fueled him to be even more distant sometimes... but he couldn't stand it any longer. He couldn't help it if he was brought up in a dojo and that was the way he was instructed to behave himself. His own mother hated that he was so serious at times, but she knew his heart. She knew he wasn't cold or heartless. She knew his sense of humor, his insecurities...   
"Ok, ok buddy, calm down," Kento was helping Ryo restrain him now. Together they were able to pressure him back into a chair, "I don't know how you knew all that stuff. I guess it's that sixth sense of yours, but I'm sorry. I just thought you were a little high strung, Sage, honest. And I was a little jealous of the female favoritism thing.... but I never ever thought ill off you. I love you, and all of the guys. I feel a bond with you all, and it's not just the armors. We've fought side by side and trusted one another with our lives. That builds brother-ship, and that's a bond that can never be broken. I was never as close to you or Rowen as am with Cye or Ryo. You two are simply different from me and we don't have much in common, and that's not bad at all, I respect you for it." Kento never felt as guilty as he did looking into those watery grey eyes, "I'm sorry Sage, I never thought... I never meant to hurt your feelings."  
"Your aloofness has always managed to stun me Sage, sometimes you acted as if you didn't want our company. Maybe, we bothered you, or something. You always seemed preoccupied in meditation, or thinking..." Cye began, "But you know that I care for you, and I would never think that horribly about anyone that I care about. Yes Sage, I did think you're cool and impersonal. That maybe you would put a fight before anything, but you never gave me reason to think otherwise, until I see you with Sylvia. I always knew you were a dreamer Sage, I've seen it in you, and I see it even more now. I know my sense isn't as strong as yours and never will be, but I know. And you should never doubt our friendship. Kento's right, we've been to hell and back together, it's hard to break a bound like that, and I never want to attempt to break it either."  
"Sage.." Ryo was trying to get Sage to look at him, to take his hands away from his face, "I'm sorry. I'm a leader, and leaders tend to put strategy first. I have to size you up as a Warrior, and your attitude for battle is the best thing we have sometimes. You remind us that there's a greater good and help us to keep trying. You'll stop at nothing, and for no one sometimes, until the enemy is eliminated. You have a true warrior instinct inside of you, and you're a valuable player on this team as is everyone else. So when I think of you in that way, I'm thinking of you as a warrior... I've... kind of assimilated that warrior image on you when you're just Sage again, not the Ronnin Warrior of Light. I guess I expected you to be that way all the time Sage... and you do act as if it is. Seeing you suddenly behaving so differently is going to take some getting used to. And I will get used to it, but Sage. You gotta pull yourself together man. I know you're going through a rough patch right now... but there's another battle to be fought, and we need you. We need you at 100%, and we can't have that when your mind's constantly on Sylvia. Something's going to have to change Sage."  
"I won't stop seeing her," Sage said in a clipped voice. His head was down, his blond hair shone, "But..."  
Ryo looked at him, "But?"  
"I'll get focused. I'll stop daydreaming," Sage sat up slowly wiping his eyes and looking at Ryo with a shrug, "I'll be 100%."  
"Sage.."  
"I'll do it ok," Sage said firmly, he looked pale and serious.  
Ryo stared at him long and hard before finally saying, "Ok. I trust you Sage."  
"Thank you," Sage said, his gaze fixed out the window again and he said nothing else.  
"So..." Rowen decided to presume the previous discussion and take the spotlight off of Sage, "How would we go about finding the Witches?"  
Mia almost jerked when she realized the question was directed at her, "Um... well.... I don't know. The Witches cover their tracks well... they've survived this long without the Darklings finding all of them, so they must be good at hiding."  
"But the Darklings still found them, so that means there must be a way to trace them," Cye pressed.  
Mia sighed, "I guess this means back to the library for me, huh guys?"  
"Yup," Kento said with a chuckle, "Send us a rope when ya get back."  
Mia smiled, "Funny..." she sighed as ran a hand through her hair.  
"Does anyone want a snack?" Cye was standing up and heading for the kitchen, "I was about to pop some brownies in the oven.."  
"Brownies?" Kento was up in a second, "You need some help with that, huh Cye?"  
"No, Kento, I DO NOT need you eating all the brownie batter out of the pan before I can put it in the oven," Cye said with a roll of his eyes. He disappeared into the kitchen.  
Kento stuck his tongue out at him, "Mature, Kento," Cye commented from the kitchen door.  
"Are you ok?" Rowen was asking Sage as Kento, grumbling to himself, took a seat on the couch beside Rowen. Sage nodded slightly. He was sitting in the same chair Kento and Ryo had put him in with his knees drawn up to his chest and his head resting on them.  
"You still mad?" Kento questioned, leaning over Rowen to nudge Sage with his hand. Sage groaned and made no response.  
"He's sick," Rowen supplied to Kento.  
Kento frowned, "Didn't you tell me that earlier?"  



	8. Chapter 7

***Thanks for all the reviews... And thank you for bearing with me. You knew I had to make sure you all knew it wasn't a Mary Sue cause there is a main character in the plot that is a girl. Someone said maybe if she didn't like Sage then it wouldn't seem so Mary Sue-is... but the thing is she's never known a boy before, so she does like him... but the thing that keeps it from being true love is... When that spell breaks, it's not going to be very pretty for Sylvia... and the aftermath of that is interesting.... Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing!***  
  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Sylvia smiled as she felt her mother gripping her hand. She was finally starting to get a response from the comatose woman. She noted the color returning to her face with excitement. It was happening, and not soon enough. She gazed, worried, out the window at the darkness.. A sun that rises too late and a moon that rised too early... They were here. She could feel them, she could smell them.. But they still hadn't located them yet. They still had a chance... she just needed her Mom to get better, to wake up, so they could be on their way. Soon, it would be soon, she thought with a nod. It had to be soon...  
  
"Mia's been gone forever, I kinda feel bad about sending her out again, alone," Ryo looked guilty, "Maybe one of us should have gone.."  
"Maybe you should have gone Ryo, Mia would have liked that," Cye snickered. He had noted Mia's growing passion for Ryo, even though Ryo himself hadn't yet.  
"Mia's got a crush on Ryo," Kento sang coming into the room with a sandwich between his palms, he took a hefty bite.  
"She does not!" Ryo insisted, he lie back on the couch and then jumped up and stood all at once, "I'm going upstairs."  
"Wait up, we'll come too, lover boy," Kento squealed like a girl, he cackled wildly after Ryo's ascending form.  
Ryo was still muttering to himself as he walked to his room. He stopped by Rowen's and Sage's room first and peeked in. Rowen was reading, no surprise there, and Sage was at his desk doing homework. Homework of all things! Free sick days, and he spends his time trying to catch up! Ryo entered the room and approached Sage to make a comment on his studious behavior, but, "Hello, what's this? A poem? Sage, you're writing poetry? Dragons?" Ryo looked at Sage who was flushing with embarrassment, "Give me that!" he snapped snatching away his poem and lying it back down on his desk. He shot Ryo a glare and continued on with his sonnets. Ryo blinked and glanced over to see Rowen's reaction. Rowen did nothing.. So Sage writing poetry was not a one time event. Hmmn.. Strangely, Ryo could see Sage writing poetry.. Just not about dragons.   
"Shouldn't you be in bed, Sage?" Ryo asked after watching Sage for a few moments.  
"No," Sage said carefully as he erased a line and started again. He ducked as he felt Ryo's probing hand on his forehead, "You're still plenty hot Sage, I say you need to get in bed."  
"Ease up Ryo, letting him sit up at his desk and write is the only thing keeping him from fighting me to go outside and meditate."  
Sage looked vaguely interested in that, "It would be nice. It's a nice day out."  
"It's cold," Ryo said simply.  
"I'd wear a jacket," Sage said just as simply.   
Ryo wanted to strangle the blond sitting before him. He glanced over at Rowen who sat with an "I told you so" grin on his face.   
"Rowen it still doesn't sound right!" Sage moaned erasing the same line again. Ryo raised an eyebrow at the whinning quality in Sage's voice.  
"Sage, maybe if you took a little nap it'll freshen up your mind," Rowen said in a light tone, his patience wearing thin.  
Sage sighed and set his pencil down and massaged his aching temples, "Only toddlers take naps."  
"Toddlers and people with temperatures of 101E,"Rowen said closing his book and sliding off his own bed, "You need rest if you wanna get better."  
"He's telling you the truth Sage," Ryo said, "now stop acting like a baby and get in bed!"  
Sage's visible grey eyes went wide, "Did you just call me a baby?"  
"Yes!" Ryo yelled, "Now get into that bed!"  
"You can't..."  
"Yes I can!" Ryo grabbed Sage firmly around the waist and stood him up, he then proceeded to drag him to his bed while Sage protested weakly, "STOP IT!"  
Rowen found the entire situation amusing, he laughed out loud while he helped out Ryo by pulling the covers back on Sage's bed. Ryo tossed Sage onto the bed and Rowen held him down while Ryo pulled up the blankets, "There.. Now isn't that nice?"  
Sage lie on his back seething with anger. He said nothing.  
"Now sleep," Ryo said, then stepped away from the bed, "Geez, I am never having kids!"  
  
"I couldn't find anything that could help us find a Witch...we'd have to have power, supernatural ones... But the Darklings... the Darklings we can find," Mia was saying sitting at the dinner table.   
"But we don't wanna find the evil destructive ones!" Rowen was saying, "That familiar was enough of a battle for me, I don't think I want to find its masters."  
"But Rowen, it seems the Darklings know how to find the Witches, and maybe through them, we can find out how too," Cye said.  
"The only way we'll find out how the Darklings are tracking the Witches is if we catch them in the act... and who's to say that act won't lead them to the Witches? Then what good would we do in protecting them if the Darklings know where they are?" Kento was wondering.  
"We'll fight them, we'll try to hold them at bay and get to the Witches first," Ryo said with a shrug, like it was that easy.  
"Hold them at bay? With what might I ask?" Kento demanded, "I mean remember Ryo, they're be the Darklings who are Lord knows how strong, and then there's bound to be more familiars!"  
"I know..." Ryo sighed, "I hate to say this guys. But we don't have much of a plan at all. Our best hope... which really isn't a hope at all, is for another familiar to show up. If we capture it, what will happen Mia?"  
"Its master would be summoned of course to come and... fetch it..."  
"And to catch a Darkling?" Ryo pursued.  
"To do what?" Cye choked on his drink and Kento pounded him on the back.  
Mia shook her head, "It's never been done."  
"It's never been done, or never been noted?" Ryo asked.  
Mia looked at Ryo, "It's never been done. Darklings cannot be contained."  
Ryo struck the table with his fist making everyone jump, "Dammit! So you're telling us there's nothing we can do? All we can do is sit back and watch the Darklings destroy the last of a race and take over the world?"  
Mia was shaking her head, "I don't know Ryo..."  
"Ok," Ryo rubbed his face wearily, "I guess this is over." Ryo rose from the table followed by the others, and went into the living room. He angrily stalked towards the front door snatching his coat off the hook, "I'm going for a walk."  
The door slammed after him, "I guess he wasn't inviting any of us to join him," Kento remarked, "Scoot over Sage, two people can sit on that couch and one of them will be me!" Sage groaned and sat up, he has been lying down curled on his side. Kento flopped down and swiped the remote just as Cye was reaching for it, "Got it first! Now lets see what's on."  
"Kento, I am not watching cartoons," Cye said flatly coming to attempt to wrestle the remote from Kento. Kento gave Cye a tug that sent him into Sage's lap, Sage yelped and shoved Cye away holding his stomach, "Watch it!"  
"Sorry," Kento said, tossing the remote to Cye, who glared at him and straighened himself up. Kento stuck out his tongue and looked to Sage, "Still feel like shit?"  
Sage made a face at him and lie his head on the arm of the sofa, "Guess that's a yes."  
"Sage, why don't you come back into the kitchen so I can take your temperature?" Mia was standing and nodding to Sage. Sage rolled his eyes, "I just took it an hour ago."  
"Sage," Mia sounded very firm and full of reproach.  
"Ok," Sage followed her into the kitchen.   
  
"Open," Mia gently placed the thermometer in his mouth. She placed her hand on his forehead and sighed, "The other night Sage... what you said..."  
Sage blinked and shook his head, "I was upset," his words were slightly slurred from the cylinder in his mouth.  
Mia gave him a small smile, "I could tell. Sage, those things you said.... well those were some of the things that I thought about you."  
"I know," Sage said.  
"I'm the only one who didn't apologize, and I didn't because I didn't want to interfere with you and the other guys bonding. You are all the closest you have ever been now, since your outburst. And now, I want us to be the closest we've ever been. Sage, I misjudged you. I never disliked you, in fact I like you very much and always have. I just didn't feel a connection with you like I had with all the others guys. You were always so guarded, and I understand that maybe you were brought up to be that way, but it made me uncomfortable sometimes. But I realize how uncomfortable I must have made you feel, and I'm sorry."  
"Nothing's as uncomfortable to me as standing here in a freezing cold kitchen trying to talk with this thing in my mouth," Sage was muttering. Mia laughed and pulled it from his lips, she glanced at it and frowned, "Back to bed, kiddo, you're still burning up."  
"Aww. Come on Mia, I was in bed all day," Sage was whining. Mia knew he was really sick then, Sage never whined, "Bed now. Do I have to get Ryo in here?" Mia had been told about what had happened earlier that day.  
Sage narrowed his eyes, "No..." he began to retreat from the kitchen, but he turned, "Hey Mia?"  
"Yes Sage?"  
"Thanks."  
"You're welcome," she smiled, "Hold on, I'll walk with you upstairs."  
Mia joined Sage at the bottom of the stairway, the two of them began the venture up only to stop halfway, "Sage? What's wrong?"   
Sage had stopped ascending suddenly, and gone completely still. His eyes were unfocused and he seemed in a trance, at hearing Mia's voice he slowly came back to reality and shook his head, "Something's not right.... Something's outside, something dark..."  
"Ryo!" Mia immediately said as a dim flourescent light began to gleam from the depths of Sage's golden hair casting an odd green glow on his pale face, "My kanji?"  
"Ryo's in trouble!" Mia was frantic, She and Sage ran back down the stairs to find Cye, Kento, and Rowen all standing with looks of panic on their faces, their kanji's shining bright on their foreheads too.  
"What's going on?" Kento asked looking a window in the living room, it was dark outside, abnormally dark.  
"Guys, we better get out there," Sage said, shaken from the vast amounts of dark energy he felt emitting from outdoors, "Ryo needs us!"  
They all nodded and in a flash they had abandoned their ordinary street clothes and were adorned in their colorful subarmors. "Lets go!"   



	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
Ryo blew his warm breath into his cold hands. He could actually feel it getting colder and see the light fading into pure night, a starless pure night. He supposed he should head back. He had wandered far enough away from the manor. He had only needed to clear his head, and that he had. He stopped his journey into the woods and turned back to head for home when there was a noise. A twig snapping? Footsteps...? He decided to quicken his pace and he heard the crunching of leaves and twigs behind him growing louder and more rapid. He broke out into a run, not really caring to look behind him; he just wanted to get the hell out of there. It grabbed him... whatever it was, it didn't have hands... it had claws. Ryo did a complete about-face as the creature ripped him around. Ryo gasped. The creature was a good 2 feet taller than him, and it resembled a strange hybrid of a frog and a wolf. Frog on the bottom, and wolf on top, snarling fangs, claws and all. Its eyes flamed orange as it licked its teeth hungrily watching Ryo, waiting for him to make his next move.   
Another familiar... Ryo thought, four of us had barely been able to deal with one. I'm alone. If he wanted to survive Ryo knew he had to get out of its clutches. He took a deep breath, he had to get into his subarmor, at least that would give him a fighting chance. Shit, no time. He felt the claws tightening around his shoulder and going for his throat. He could kick it in its unmentionables... assuming it had unmentionables. He prepared his leg for the kick, and as soon as his kick was delivered he could do a back-spring and get on his subarmor. He brought up his leg for a kick and delivered a blow that was more painful to himself than to the creature. His exoskeleton was like steel. I'm going to die.. Ryo thought, struggling wildly, futily to get away. He just needed a simple distraction.  
"RYO!"   
Kento? "KENTO!"  
"RYO!"  
"ROWEN!"  
"He should be... WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?"   
Sage... "It's gonna kill me!"  
Ryo could feel its claws tightening around his throat as he tried to turn his head to see his friends. Bam! The creature was struck in two different places by Cye and Kento's twin flying kicks. It backed off, releasing Ryo to go after Cye and Kento. Ryo fell back and sank to the ground rubbing his raw throat, "Are you ok?"   
"I'm fine, get back in the battle and keep your eyes on that thing," Ryo instructed Sage, who had never seen or fought a familiar like the others had. Sage nodded leaving Ryo's side to join Rowen's.  
Ryo stood up and changed into his red subarmor, Now it was time to play. He cracked his metal knuckles and smiled grimly.  
They surrounded the beast in a tight circle and began their attacks. The beast fought back viciously. After being knocked to the ground for the millionth time and favoring his right leg Ryo announced, "RONNINS TO ARMS!"  
"TO ARMS!" his group chorused after him. They each leaped back from the monster so that he could not make any immediate attacks while they changed. Battle cries were heard from five different corners of the woods.  
"ARMOR OF WILDFIRE! DAO JIN!"  
"ARMOR OF STRATA! DAO INOCHI!"  
"ARMOR OF TORRENT! DAO SHIN!"  
"ARMOR OF HALO! DAO CHI!"  
"ARMOR OF HARDROCK! DAO GI!"  
Five fully dressed Samurai warrior appeared from the five boys that once stood in front of the familiar. The familiar cocked its head in confusion.  
"Hey ugly," Kento cried out to the beast, "This one's for you! IRON ROCK CRUSHER!" He spun his staff high above his head and then brought it down with a devasting blow to the grassy floor of the clearing. The ground shook violently and began to split and crack towards the familiar. The familiar was blown back and knocked to the ground.  
Not to be undone, Rowen followed Kento in his attack, "ARROW SHOCK WAVES!" Rowen aimed his golden bow at the crumpled dark form and released his golden arrow barrage in the creature sending him rippling back into a tree. It roared in pain and anger. It struggled to bring itself to its feet and came at them once again for attack, "Oh no you don't!" Cye pointed his trident at the creautre, "SUPER WAVE SMASHER!"   
With a final scream the familiar vaporized into a black formless gas.  
"What the hell?" Sage looked thoroughly confused, he removed his helmet and gazed at the scorched spot the creature once stood on, "Did that happen the last time too guys?"  
"No," Ryo was shaking his head, "We didn't kill that one.. But this one... What is it? What's wrong Sage?"  
"That noise..."  
Everyone was silent as they strained to hear what Sage was hearing.  
"I don't hear anything Blondie," Kento said, "You feelin' light headed?"  
Sage was shaking his head and silencing Kento. He strained to make out something in the night, he was whirling around in mad circles trying to pinpoint the location of... "Ryo LOOK OUT!"   
Ryo was struck from behind with the force of being by an eighteen wheeler. His body flew into a tree and slid down, he moaned in pain.  
"What in the world was that?" Cye demanded, he saw nothing. He only saw Ryo going airborn. He stared at Ryo who was sitting up and rubbing his head, his gaze traveled to Sage, who had put back on his helmet and was in a fighting stance... he clearly was seeing something Cye was not... and when he looked to the others, he could tell they weren't seeing it either. Oof, something struck him from behind. He hit the ground with such force he could have sworn that he bounced. When he looked up to see his attacker.. He saw nothing, "What hit me?"  
Rowen was launched into the air and he screamed in terror at the sudden rush of air and nothingness below his feet. He hit the ground with a metal crash and groaned in pain before springing back into immediate action. "Sage what's going on?" Sage looked like the only one of them that had a clue in the situation. He watched as Kento was helpless struck by some unseen force and tossed aside like a rag doll. Sage was backing away from something, his grey eyes wide in astonishment, "What are you?" he asked.  
"Sage what are seeing?!" Ryo was demanding trying to get closer to the bearer of Halo, but felt something strike him, the searing pain harpooned from his side into his chest, he fell back from the shattering blow feeling something crack beneath his armor... beneath HIS ARMOR!   
Sage slashed at some unvisible creature his sword of light flashing at every swipe made, he blinked at the reaction of his sword, but kept slashing. It was doing nothing against this creature... the creature that appeared to made of shadow and gloom... a wispy yet solid monster with no face that kept approaching him.. There were many, and they were surrounding his friends... his friends who acted as if they saw nothing and heard nothing. The creatures whispered, they said things in an odd language that Sage did not understand. Another creature came to aid his friend in his attempt to thwart Sage. Sage fought to hold them off, but they were too strong, his sword passed clean through them like butter, but it never seemed to cause any harm...  
Kento had been tossed for the last time.. He didn't care if he couldn't see what force was doing this to him, they were going to wish they had never been born! "THAT'S IT!!"  
"Kento no!" Ryo started to shout.  
"IRON ROCK CRUSHER!!!" Kento cried bringing his staff down with all his might. He would get them, he would get them even if he couldn't see them. He watched the ground rising around him, heard his friends yelling in surprise and pain. Oh no! Kento realized he may have gotten the monster.. But he also got his friends as well. "Dammit Kento," Sage was snapping as he carefully avoided the chaos, his grey eyes were wide and alert, his no-datchi lit up and he struck out at an invisible... huh?  
"Sage, light that sword of yours up again," Kento requested as he was struck square in the jaw. He felt the blood tricking, but he didn't care to wipe it away.. He needed to see what he thought he had seen before. Sage looked puzzled by Kento's request, but a sudden motion by his arm lit the long sword up again, and in that flash Kento could see them... Tall shadowy black creatures with no faces... They loomed over them, there had to be 20 of them. Kento felt his fear rising, these were no normal demons.. They faded as the light of Sage's sword dimmed, "Sage! I could see them when you lit your sword up!" Kento cried, sounding excited, now they could fight, now they may stand a chance...  
"Sage!"  
Sage nodded, understanding the message, "Protect your eyes, pull down your visers!" Sage yelled hoping his warnings would reach everyone. He shut his eyes breifly and focused his energy, his light, and felt the brightness swirling around him, pouring itself into the darkness.   
Ryo looked through the shade of his viser and now saw what was in front of him, what had been beating him. A stocky smoke-like creature with no face stood in front of him flinching away from the light. Ryo took that distraction and charged it. He ran straight through the creature feeling the liquid cold permeate his armor and his body, "Aaaahhh!!" Pain, pain erupted from his back as the creature struck him from behind, "We can't touch them!"  
"The light, they don't like the light!" Rowen was yelling, he had also unsuccessfully tried to pummel the creature.. But he did notice them cringing from Sage's brightness. He turned his eyes to face the beacon of light that was Sage to see that no creatures were bothering him directly, they instead hung back and circled him like vultures that were doomed to the ground. Sage whirled around slowly not keeping his back to any of them for long. Rowen could see his nervous trembling at having so many surrounding him knowing that if any of them chose to attack he wouldn't be able to defend himself from the blows... But that was not what fascinated Rowen, what was fascinating was the creatures' hatred of the light, the way they cringed and backed away when Sage turned to their side and the light reflected would be brighter. "Sage! TRY YOUR ATTACK!" Rowen yelled to Sage. Sage barely acknowledged Rowen as Rowen jumped for cover, dodging the creature to his left. He saw the others running to cover themselves too.  
"THUNDERBOLT CUT!!!" Sage's cry was heard for miles. The lightening poured from the pitch black sky into Sage's no-datchi, and Sage seemed to harness the light, he wielded the lightening in a small circle before unleasing it onto his cringing prey. The screams.. Sage wanted to cover his ears. The monsters fled back away from him, trying to get away from the accursed light. They shrank back towards the trees, but much to Sage's and the others'disappointment, they did not leave. They simply hung back, "MORE LIGHT!"  
"FLARE UP NOW!!" Ryo had risen from his haven behind a boulder and had called up his attack. It was no lightning, but it was bright.. Anything was worth a try to drive these creatures, whatever they were back into the night!   
"ARROW SHOCK WAVES!!" Rowen called his own power into play. The brightness of the two attacks together made the creatures receded even more, "Do it again!" Ryo was ordering when Cye cried out, he was rushing to Sage's side to stop what he was seeing and had been thrown aside, the creature hadn't even approached him and had thrown him aside! Ryo turned to see a dark creature directly in front of Sage, holding out one smoky hand, Sage stood stiffly staring at the creature, his kanji shone clear through his helmet. Sage looked to be in a trance, The creature reached for him, "SAGE SNAP OUT OF IT!!!" Kento had appeared from the darkness grabbing Sage and pulling him to the ground from behind. Ryo made eye contact with Rowen, "ARROW SHOCK WAVES!!!"  
"FLARE UP NOW!!!"  
The screams were terrible, Sage clutched at his ears in vain through his helmet. His no-datchi lie on the ground useless to him, "Sage, get up. We need your attack again... Sage NOW!"  
Sage trembled, but listened to Kento's rough voice. He nodded and felt around for his sword finding it in the dirt and gripping it. The creatures had started to move in on them again, now that his armor wasn't lit up like a Christmas tree. He climbed to his feet, watching the creatures moving back in as the light receded from both Ryo and Rowen's attacks, he drew in his breath and willed all his energy together for this play, "THUNDERBOLT CUT!!!"  
Once again the lightening came from the sky in a thicker flood than before. It tingled and crackled in his every pore, he hurled it in every direction lighting up every part of the forest within a 100 mile radius. It was minutes before the light from his final attack faded.... He stood in solitude breathing hard, he let his arms fall to his side and let his sword clamber into the dirt.   
"They're gone..." Cye said in a shaky voice, "They're gone."  
"What the hell were they?" asked Kento, he was standing still dusting himself off from Sage's attack.  
"The Darklings..." Sage said in barely a whisper, his knees gave way beneath him, and Kento was there to catch him and lower him to his knees on the ground, "Are you ok, man? That last attack you did was awesome. Didn't know you could do that much damage."  
Sage was still panting, "I'm tired..."  
Rowen was helping Ryo up from the ground, slowly, stopping when Ryo cringed and clutched his side, "What's wrong?"   
"Ow... I think I cracked some ribs," Ryo was muttering, "I'm ok." Rowen frowned with concern, but continued to help Ryo up, "Lean on me," he instructed. Ryo obeyed greatfully, his side felt as if it were about to burst. Rowen and Ryo made their way over to the others, who were kneeling.   
"Are you alright?" Cye was asking Sage, removing his helmet. The blond hair was matted to his forehead with sweat, and his face was deathly pale, "I'm alright. Ryo, are you alright?"   
Ryo bit his bottom lip, "I'm fine..." he eyed Sage curiously, "Why do you say that those things we just fought were Darklings...and what was happening to you back there?"  
Sage looked over at Ryo with glassy grey eyes, "I... I... I just know that's what they were..." He lowered his head again swallowing hard, "I don't... feel so well."  
"That's right!" Cye said wanting to smack himself, "Lets get home, ok?"  
Rowen placed his cool hand on Sage's forehead and grimaced, "Yeah, lets get home." 


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
"Ryo, you should have been here to see Mia when she thought you were in trouble," Kento was chuckling, "She was screaming 'RYO! Oh no, he's in trouble!'"  
Ryo threw a glare laced with poison at Kento's smriking features, "Hahahaha, Mia looooves Ryo."  
"Kento, shut up, no she doesn't!" Ryo was saying in annoyance.  
"She wouldn't have shouted for me like that," Kento said cackling.  
"He's got a point there, Ryo," Rowen was saying nursing a cut on his cheek with an alcohol suave, "She wouldn't 'uh' nearly fell down a flight 'uh' stairs for me."  
"Guys!" Ryo was trying not to shout, his ribs were aching and shouting would not help them. They sat in the living room, Ryo sitting upright, rigid with pain on the couch, Rowen in an arm chair, and Kento and Sage on the loveseat.  
"She nearly pulled me down with her when she came barreling down the stairs. I hadn't even said a word, I just looked like I had felt something from outside and she started screaming..." Sage remarked snickering as Kento guffawed  
"Not you too!" Ryo struck his head on the back of the couch.   
"Mia and Ryo sittin' in a.." Kento stopped his song as Mia followed by Cye entered the room. Mia holding a roll of bandages. "Ok, Ryo, off with the shirt, lets see what you've done."  
Ryo began to take off his shirt, but only before glaring at Rowen, Sage and Kento as their eyes danced in amusement at Mia's wanting Ryo to undress before her.  
Mia whistled at the black and blue bruises gracing Ryo's torso, "What did this?"  
"Sage says the Darklings," Cye said sitting down with a cup of steaming mint green liquid, he handed it to Sage, "Drink all of it, and I don't want to hear any complaints."   
"The Darklings? What did they look like? You were able to fight them?"  
"The Darklings looked like big black smoke people with no faces..."  
"They had faces..." Sage commented taking a timid sip of the liquid and grimacing at the chalky taste.  
"What do you mean they had faces?" Kento turned to face Sage, "I didn't even make out eyes on those things.. They were just smoke."  
"I didn't see the faces at first either, until I used the light to let you all see..."  
"Mia, Sage was the only one of us that could actually see the Darklings without aid, we only saw them when Sage illuminated the battlefield. Do you know why that is... and now, Sage, you say you had an even better view of the Darklings in the light?"  
Mia chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully, "Well, the Darklings' element is darkness... and the opposite of darkness is light... maybe that's why."  
"But didn't it talk to you Sage? You said you could hear them as well," Cye asked.  
Sage blinked, "I couldn't understand them, if that's what you're asking. They were talking in some weird language, all of them... you couldn't hear them at all?"  
Everyone shook their heads.  
"You're psychic too, maybe that's it," Rowen was trying to figure this out, "What was going on when it was just you and that one...? You were standing there like you were in a trance..."  
"Yeah, if I hadn't of pummeled you when I did..." Kento was staring at Sage who looked thoroughly confused, "What are you guys talking about?"  
"What do you mean.. Sage, you were like standing like some kind of statue! That thing had its hand out in front of your face like this," Ryo tried to imitate the gesture, but was restrained by Mia who was applying a solvent to his rub cage.  
Sage was shaking his head, "I don't know what you're talking about..."  
"I asked you about it outside and you acted like you didn't want to talk about it..."  
Sage was starting to jitter with his agitation, "I don't know... I just... I just... remember fighting.. And then I heard Kento yelling, and next thing I know I'm eating dirt."  
"Mia...?"  
"More research?" Mia asked with a wry grin, she slapped on more solvent and Ryo yelped at the sting.  
"I can help.." Sage was leaning forward, wanting to try out a little healing power on Ryo's ribs, "Oh no you don't," Mia looked at him, "You're lucky you're getting to stay downstairs, young man."  
"But..."  
"No buts, unless you want to go to bed," Mia was saying beginning to tape on Ryo's wrap around bandages. Ryo let out a hiss of pain as Mia pulled tight. Sage pouted, "Suck that lip back in."  
"We did discover one weakness about the Darklings, they despise light. I mean, it didn't seem to weaken them a bit, nothing we threw at them landed," Rowen was saying, "But the light made them stand down."  
Mia nodded, "Ok, that's good..."  
"Do you think if we had used Inferno we could have beaten them?" Kento questioned.  
"Maybe one of them, if we were lucky," Rowen muttered, "Those things are strong... and if Witches are the only thing that can challenge them, then I'm not looking forward to meeting a Witch.. And they are not going to be very happy when they find out the reason we're seeking them out. They might use that hocus pocus on us too!"  
"Yeah, one of them threw me across the clearing without even touching me!" Cye was recalling.  
"It doesn't look good for us Mia, we don't stand a chance.... but one thing I would like to know is. If these Darklings are supposedly only after the Witches, why do they waste their time attacking us?"  
"Well, they're evil Ryo, ever think they may just wanna fight something?" Kento was baring his nails.  
"Or maybe we have something they want..." Rowen was contemplating, "They seemed mighty interested in Sage..."  
"Cause he could see them. If no one else could see them, then maybe they wondered what it was about him..."  
"Maybe," Rowen nodded, ",or maybe the answer lies in why Sage can see and hear them." Rowen gazed at Sage appraisingly, "You feel any differently when the familiar vanished and the Darklings came? I mean I know you heard them but..."  
"I felt sick to my stomach.. But that happens anytime something evil is approaching, and then I'm sick. I can't really tell you anything that could be a definite clue," Sage said.  
"But your missing time... the time you don't remember, maybe that's our clue," Rowen was thinking, "Mia, do you think you could find a topic that may have something to do with Sage being hypnotized?"  
Mia nodded, "I'll try."  
"We fought a familiar earlier, but never met up with the Darklings, why did they come now?"  
"Maybe cause we killed one of their pets?" Kento suggested with a barbaric grin.  
"If we killed it," Sage said looking uncertain, "and how would you know if they had come the last time you fought the familiar? As far as we know, you can't see them without my light. Ryo your lights and Rowen's combined didn't illuminate them enough to where you could see their faces... only my sword...my light did it."  
"Well you are the Warrior of Light," Ryo spoke up, "Maybe that's just it. It's another one of your attributes, you heal and can see what is really in the dark... Ever think that... Darklings, you know how little kids say they see monsters under the bed, in the closet. Do you think..?"  
"But maybe it's not Darklings, maybe there are other creatures in the dark.. Ones we can't see except with a special light..." Cye trailed off, his tone losing its excitement, as he gazed at Sage who was suddenly as white as a sheet, "Only some little kids still saw the monsters after a certain age...and fewer still when they grew older..but some still saw." He looked lost in the haze of time, the years falling away from his expression as he was remembering something.  
"You had monsters in your closet?" Kento teased nudging Sage with his elbow.  
Sage smiled back at him faintly, "My whole family thought I was nuts. I saw so many child psychiatrists.. All the other kids thought I was weird, guess that's why I'm so different from everyone now," he shrugged, "Instead of birthday parties I trained in the dojo... No one invited the weird kid to their party. My Dad and Grandfather couldn't have been happier.. But my Mom was kinda sad. But I guess I'm popular enough now to please her," Sage grinned, letting them know why he was so popular. He was a very good-looking young man, and one couldn't help but want to hang around him, despite how he could act sometimes. He had that magnetism about him.  
"I didn't get invited to many parties either when I was a kid," Rowen confided, "I was the teacher's pet that always got the perfect grades with all the stickers and candy, and now in high school I'm the nerd that always throws off the curve."  
Kento pretended to be upset, "That's right! I could have bombed that history test with a higher 'F' if it hadn't of been for you!"  
"Aw, stop your complaining Kento, if you would have studied..."  
"Ahem!" Ryo interrupted them, "This is a great conversation guys, and we'll have to bring it up again sometime, cause Rowen, I studied and bombed that history test with a vengeance and could have used a merciful curve too.. But... Sage?"  
"Yes?"  
"You saw the..monsters...even after no one else could?"  
Sage nodded.  
"And now? Do you still see them?" Ryo pressed, and Sage blinked. He kinda bit his lip and looked away.  
"What? What was that for? You don't see them anymore? Do you remember why you stopped seeing them? Did you get too old?"  
Sage was shaking his head at all of those reasons, he rubbed at his forehead absently.  
"That thing was staring at your kanji... it shone right through your helmet. Like it was trying to see through it. Sage? Look at us.. What is it you're hiding?"  
"N..nothing," Sage stuttered, "Look, I don't know what you're getting at."  
"Guys, back off, he's not well," Mia was beginning sensing the angry charges in the room.  
"Why should we back off.. Why won't he just answer the question, since he volunteered to feed us with so much information before?" Kento was narrowing his eyes and glaring at Sage, "What are you trying to keep from us Blondie?"  
Sage met Kento's glare with an icy one of his own. Kento's eyes downcast after a while, no one could match glares with Sage for very long. "I'm not keeping anything that is important from you."  
"Well if it's not important, then why won't you share with us Sage?" Ryo said, grimacing as he strained his ribs.  
"Well if it's not important to this situation, why should I tell you?" Sage's eyes were wide and guileless.   
"DAMMIT SAGE DON'T PLAY GAMES WITH US! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO....?"  
"I TOLD YOU IT'S NOT IMPORTANT!" Sage jumped up from the chair, "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter at all! I DON'T KNOW WHY I SAW THE DARKLINGS, I WISH I DIDN'T!" He stormed off towards the stairs and was soon running up them.  
"Shit," Kento stared after him, "We did it again.. Why do we always gang up on him?"  
"Well if he wouldn't be so damn secretive all the time," Ryo was muttering. Rowen stood up, "I'm gonna go up and see if I can talk him back down. There's something to this, and if we all," he looked to Ryo and Kento, "can be civil, then we can get to the matter at hand."  
Ryo grunted in reply, while Kento nodded, "I'll be nice."  
Rowen smiled at him, and ventured up the stairs.  
  
He didn't knock, he just entered. Sage was sitting on his bed clutching a pillow to his chest, he rocked back and forth. Rowen entered the room slowly, "Hey..."  
"I just wanted to sleep Rowen..."  
"What?"  
"I just wanted to sleep. I couldn't take any more, the voices, the creatures, the ghosts....things no one else could see. My parents were gonna send me away, and no one would understand me where they were going to send me." Rowen reached the bed and sat down beside his friend, "Woa, woa, tell me what you're talking about buddy."  
"I had to do it.." Sage was whispering to himself, "I had to get rid of it...it was a curse, not a gift like she had told me. I was going insane Rowen," Sage looked up at Rowen with sad eyes, "I did what I had to."  
"What did you do buddy?" Rowen asked touching Sage's shoulder, and feeling Sage rest his head on his shoulder, "I... what I did was bad, Ro."  
"I'm not here to judge you Sage..."  
"My parents would kill me if they knew some of the things I did in my room while they were asleep.."  
"Sage?"  
"Rowen, I had had enough. I read every book about psychic phenomena, about ghosts, evil... Exorcism... anything that might be able to tell me what I had, and how to make it go away Ro... I...I... went to this woman, a guy in a new age bookstore told me about her. She was a medium, a witch, Rowen. She told me I was special...told me I had a great gift to offer to the world."  
"So she told you, you are psychic?" Rowen asked with a shrug.  
"No, she told me I was....that I had the 'silver touch'... What ever the hell that means," Sage muttered, "It's like being an open passageway, I hear everything, see everything, past, present, and future...but I can't do anything to change any of it. Shivoni, that is the witch, she told me it's a gift. A rare gift, and I should be honored.. You have to be chosen."   
"Sage, she was right, it is a gift, certainly to us. You've given us warnings and your senses keep us on our toes...And it does sound like an honor..."  
Sage was shaking his head, "The crazy are blessed with this power Rowen... Schizophrenia is not a disease.. It's a gift... voices, hallucinations..." Sage was shaking his head, "None of them are truly insane.. Just suffering, as I was, with the gift."  
"So what did you do about it Sage? How did you make it stop?" Rowen let his arm fall around Sage's shivering shoulders.  
Sage took a deep breath, "I performed a ritual, a spell... I made a circle of salt, I took some candles, and made an altar..."  
"An altor? But altars are for...  
"Sacrifices," Sage finished for him.  
Rowen gasped and turned his head to stare at Sage in horror, "You hurt someone?"  
"No!" Sage said imediately, sitting upright and holding his pillow again, "Never! Not a person... my pets.. My cats... I needed blood Rowen...some kind of sacrifice."  
Rowen nodded looking sick to his stomach, "Go on.."  
"After I did the spell and finished the chant it went away Rowen.. I was normal," Sage's eyes were glazed with his pent in tears, "I could sleep Rowen, that's all I wanted was a few hours of sleep with no noises, no lights, no voices, no whispers, no nightmares. Was I wrong for wanting to rest? I was so tired Rowen..." Sage let his head rest on his pillow. Rowen stared at his friend, he put out his hand to rub his back and let him know it was ok. Instead of looking up at him Sage extended his arm and set it in Rowen's lap, exposing his left wrist. Rowen gazed at it, then grabbed it and brought it to his face... "Sage...?" a faint scar over the pumping artery in his wrist was visible in the soft lighting.  
"I tried everything," Sage said helplessly, "That's how bad things were."  
"Nothing could ever be that bad," Rowen said softly, he sighed, "So what happened after that, to..to..."  
"Break the spell I cast on myself? I'm not sure, I think it has something to do with the armor. A few years before we came to be, I felt a reemerging of my...gift. It wasn't nearly as strong as it has been when I was a kid.. I was petrified it would come back full blown, and I was getting ready to do the spell again.. But then..."  
"You found Halo," Rowen said.  
"I found Halo... and through Halo my powers were fully restored, and I gained a new talent, healing."  
Rowen nodded, the frowned, "Sage, you said a witch told you about your gift... and she also gave you that spell that you used I'm assuming."  
"A witch did tell me, but I found that book on my own. She doesn't give spells to minors with no training..."  
"But you were still able to cast a spell... Sage, wouldn't that make you a..."  
"No," Sage said flatly, he shook his head, "Rowen, I don't know what exactly I am...what it is I'm supposed to do. I know it has a lot to do with me also being the Warrior of Light, though."  
"And a Darkling would like you for...?"  
Sage was looking up at Rowen now, smiling sadly, "Ro....my story's not through. I've since been back to that witch. I had to close my channels again, get selective permeability, something. Remember the first day you met me?"  
Rowen nodded, "You fainted in the middle of class."  
"That evening I snuck out and went to see Shivoni... I told her what I had done when I was younger, and she had been impressed that I had even been able to cast the spell and that it was a success. I'm under her protection now Rowen... Witches mark things that are theirs, it's territorial, and I bare her mark, on my forehead. It guess it kinda went under the kanji."  
"And you think that's what the Darklings were looking at? Shivoni's a Witch, so they'd be looking for her!"  
"Shivoni's not that kind of Witch, remember there are different kinds!"  
Rowen blinked, "But they..."  
"Rowen, there's something else..."  
"What?"  
"I've seen a Darkling before. A long time ago, in my room. I don't know what it wanted, but the langauge that they speak... I remember understanding it then. Rowen, why could I undertsand them when no one else can... it's obvious what they are speaking isn't any langauge I've heard or seen before."  
"So you think that maybe they remember you? You're a threat! If you can understand them and see them, and even have the power to make them back down...Sage, they'd want you dead. But...my question is why? What does this all mean? Why do you have these powers, what are they for?"  
Sage frowned, "I don't know, and it scares me...and I just want them gone completely."  
Rowen rubbed his back, and sighed, "So that mark on you now, that's filtering out that mysterious power of yours?"   
Sage smiled lying his cheek on his pillow, "Yeah...and in a way it makes me the most dangerous to be around, now. Shivoni's gone, she went back to the United States, and now I bare a mark of protection with no protector near by... Demons love my kind."  
"When did Shivoni leave? And why do they like you?"  
"Not very long ago Ro... a month, she never got to meet Sylvia," Sage looked a little dreamy, "And it's because the broken or long distant marks of protection are the easiest to see, and the easier to torture. If Shivoni isn't close she can't sense the minor disturbances, that can be strong enough to send me off the deep end, but not strong enough to reach her. If it hadn't been for Sylvia, Ro..."  
"Shhhh.." Rowen rubbed his friend's shoulders, "Sage. As long as I'm here, no one is gonna hurt you, no one and no thing, and now we have to go downstairs and tell the others the same things you just told me, Sage."  
"No," Sage tried to move away from Rowen, but Rowen held him in place," No Rowen!"  
"Sage, they're your friends, you trusted me, you can trust them too..."  
"But they yell at me Rowen," Sage was saying starting to tremble violently, "You don't yell at me.. Except in the morning. Rowen I can't deal with them rejecting me."  
"They won't..."  
"They will.. They'll want to know why I didn't tell them right away. They'll accuse me of knowing how to find other Witches..." Sage broke off coughing violently. He gasped and patted his chest.   
"Ok, ok, slow down," Rowen patted his back, "Don't forget you're sick. Sage, I won't tell them anything you don't want me too... but Sage, they gotta know. What you just told me is important."  
"How? I can see Them that's all they need to know..."  
"And the fact that They may be attracted to you," Rowen said flatly, "Sage, Mia can research this... She can find us something that can help us, help you."  
Sage was nodding, "You're right, of course... I just.... You promise they won't yell?"  
Rowen cracked a smile, "I'll kick all their asses if they yell." 


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
Cye heard the tea kettle whistling and hurried to lift it off the stove. He poured the hot water into six tea cups with different flavored tea bags in each one. He smiled at the breakfast he had set out. He loved to cook, and the only thing he loved more than that was to watch people enjoying his food. Kento was down first of course, his nose woke him before his alarm did. "Alright Cye!" Kento grabbed a plate and began to pile on the food, "KENTO! Save some for everyone else!"  
"Geez Cye!" Kento groaned, he stopped his pile and plopped down to eat. Ryo came down the stairs rather slowly, he was not dressed for school. He wore his pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, the stiffness of his movements was noticeable. He winced as he sat, "Morning Ryo," Cye greeted him, Ryo smiled at him and began to fill his plate, "God, I'm tired.. And I don't even want to think about all the work we're gonna be doing tonight."  
"Yeah..." Kento sighed, he looked to Ryo and Cye, "What Sage and Rowen told us last night, doesn't it scare you a little? To know that all those little things we used to be afraid of when we were kids were real, we all had gifts that we lost in the process of growing up. It's almost like being robbed."  
"But how Sage described it, I'm grateful that I was," Ryo said, "and I hate myself for yelling at him. He was so afraid to tell us, afraid of how we were going to react."  
Kento nodded sadly, "But at least Rowen got him to come clean with us... What do you guys think about him, ya know... casting that spell, with the cats?"  
Cye and Ryo shuddered, "He was desperate... Did you see his wrist?"  
Kento shook his head.  
Cye nodded, "A year ago, after our first meeting with Tulpa. I was looking at a scrape on his arm and I saw it... I just kinda traced it with my finger and looked at him. He snatched his arm back and didn't say anything about it."  
Mia came into the kitchen, "Smells wonderful Cye." She grabbed a cup of tea and removed the tea bag, "I might not be home til late tonight guys. All of last night's information raised up some serious research ideas. I wish that Shivoni witch was still in town.. I think Grandfather knew her. I'll have to check his files as well...I have to get an early start so I'll be off now, Ryo if you set foot out of this house today I will hunt you down... You are to stay in and check up on Sage every once in a while... if he is to set foot out of this house today, I will hunt you down..."  
Ryo's eyes widened, "What? But Mia..."  
"Bye, have good days at school Cye and Kento, Ryo take care, and make sure Sage is drinking all of his liquids and taking his medicine, I set them all out and labeled what they are, and when they are to be administered." With that Mia walked out the door.  
"Hello Nurse!" Kento remarked to Ryo whistling, "Mia wants you!"  
"No, she wants to kill me," Ryo said removing the tea bag from his cup and drinking his tea. Rowen came down the stairs followed by Sage. Rowen was dressed for school, Sage was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, he looked ready to go somewhere.  
"Oh no, no..." Ryo was standing up with a grunt.  
"Mia's gonna kill Ryo..." Kento uttered under his breath with a laugh.   
"Where are you all dressed up to go?" Ryo asked Sage looking him up and down. Sage was dressed rather casually, Sage rarely ever dressed casual.   
"I'm gonna go see if I can catch Sylvia this morning before school," Sage said lightly, "She may want a ride, and I can tell her that I'm sick and won't be at school..."  
"Why don't you call her, cause you are not going anywhere," Ryo said.  
"Huh?"  
"Doctor Mia said no outdoor activities for you today, buddy, sorry," Ryo said.  
"Oh.. But I'm just gonna be 30 minutes," Sage was trying to win Ryo over by looking pitiful.  
"I'm not getting killed so you can go make goo-goo eyes at Sylvia," Ryo said simply.  
"Dammit, that look always wins Mom over," Sage was muttering to himself.  
"Why don't you sit down and have some breakfast?" Cye suggested instead. Sage glanced at the full table and paled, "No thanks." He did sit down at the table beside Kento.   
Kento patted his shoulder affectionately, "Upset stomach?"  
Sage nodded, he took the cup of tea in front of him and removed the tea bag.  
"You want us to give some kind of message to Sylvia for ya?" Kento asked. He was really trying to be helpful.  
Sage shrugged, "Just tell her I tried, hope she won't be mad. I think I was supposed to take her to the mall..." He scratched his head trying to remember what their plans had been.  
"I swear you are her chauffeur and her wallet," Cye rolled his eyes.  
"Yeah, I mean are the make-outs really that good?" Kento asked looking envious.  
Sage nodded quickly, so quickly he grabbed his head in pain, "She's great..."  
"Guys, we had better get to school if we're gonna go," Rowen was saying, he sighed and looked over to Sage and Ryo, neither one of them looking very healthy, "You two will be alright here by yourselves?"  
Ryo nodded, "We'll be fine."  
"Lets walk the guys outside," Sage said quickly about to stand, but Ryo grabbed his arm, "Not so fast Blondie! See you guys later!"  
  
Babysitting for Sage was not an easy job. The guy just was not used to being sick and being still. He was up cleaning his and Rowen's room. He wanted to go outside and meditate, he wanted to practice his kendo. Ryo wanted to kill him. Dead people don't move much, or talk... well at least to him, anyway. Sage had finally settled on meditating in the attic with the window open. He'd been quiet for a few hours now. Ryo relished the silence, hoping he had fallen alseep. He grunted as he reached for the remote and turned on the TV. "Ryo..."  
"Oh no..." Ryo moaned, "Sage?"  
"It's so pretty outside today," Sage began, he looked longingly out of each window in the living room.  
"It's cold Sage," Ryo said flatly, "and you've been coughing all day long. Going outside is not gonna make that cough sound any better, and it's not going to help that fever of yours, either."  
Sage groaned and sat down on the couch beside Ryo, "I'll get you some juice."  
"I'll get it, you're the one with the bad ribs.... You know, why don't you let me.."  
"No Sage," Ryo said firmly, "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror at all today? You looked drained, you should be tired."  
Sage frowned, he was tired, but he also felt restless, he couldn't go for so long without doing anything, "Oh... I need something to do Ryo... I've done all my homework, I've meditated, I've cleaned everything in the house..."  
"How about a nap?" Ryo suggested, smiling at the idea himself.  
Sage slumped further into the couch, "Ok... how about a game? We can play cards or checkers or something..." Ryo didn't feel like playing anything, but if it would keep the blond from eventually sneaking out and stealing into the woods he would play. Sage didn't object right away so Ryo got up and shuffled to grab board game, any board game. When he returned he nearly chunked the monopoly box across the living room in frustration.. While he had been gone fetching the American game Mia had brought home one day, Sage had stretched out over the couch, OVER HIS SPOT, and had fallen asleep. Ryo sighed and took a place on the loveseat, he soon had spread out and closed his eyes, and a grateful sleep overtook him.  
  
"Awww..." Rowen cooed as he entered the house, quickly shushing Kento and Cye's argument outside the front door, "They're asleep."  
Cye and Kento crept in softly, "How cute... anyone got a camera?"  
Rowen had slipped into the kitchen, "This place is spotless."  
"Sage's handy work I bet," Cye was inspecting the table that had been scubbed until it shone, "I can't see him just lying around resting all day."  
Kento bounded into the kitchen and went straight for the pantry, he began tossing chips and cookies out onto the counter, "Just a little snack." Cye and Rowen rolled their eyes as Kento bundled up his goodies in his arms and went back through the living room, probably on his way up the stairs to his room. "It amazes me how he can find the strength to take all that food upstairs, but not his school books," Cye muttered to Rowen who laughed.  
Kento walked through the living room but overhearing Cye's words and Rowen's laughter, "I heard that! I will get my..."  
"Kento will you shut your loud mouth you could wake the dead!" Ryo's sleepy voice slurred, "And if you have woken up Sage I will kill you."  
Kento guiltily looked back at the still slumbering blond, "No, he's still asleep. Want something to eat?" Quick to be helpful, Kento set his food down on the table let Ryo examine it all and take his pick. Ryo chose a package of cookies, "Thanks."  
"How're you feeling man?" Kento asked, "Ribs still sore?"  
"Yeah," Ryo winced just thinking about them, "but other than that, I'm fine. How was school?"  
Kento rolled his eyes, "Don't ask.. Two words, pop quiz. You are so lucky you missed it."  
"Kento!" Cye hissed coming into the living room, he looked to Sage who was still sleeping. He was less angered when he realized Kento hadn't woken the both of them up, "Let Ryo get his rest!"  
"But..."  
"I'm awake Cye, really, it's ok," Ryo was smiling.  
"You would still be sleeping if it weren't for Kento and his big trap," Cye was saying as he leaned down to touch Sage's forehead, "Still hot."  
"Yeah," Ryo commented, "He's not doing so good. He was so restless today, pacing around, cleaning stuff, but I think he's feeling worse than yesterday."  
Kento groaned, "This is just great, how are we supposed to fight with two guys down. I don't know about you Ryo, but I'm not carrying Sage if he faints during battle... he doesn't need to be out there, I don't care if he is the only one that can see Darklings."   
"I won't faint," came Sage's muffled argument as he struggled to sit up, his face a little green, "I might puke though..." he jumped shakily to his feet and dashed off to the downstairs bathroom with Cye trailing him.  
"What are we gonna do if they come again tonight, Ryo?" Kento asked the leader, "I know you're going to want to battle... and for our survival we need Sage's light... but what about his survival, Ryo?"  
A flicker of pain came into Ryo's eyes, " I don't know Kento... Just pray that Mia will come up with a solution I guess... Maybe she can find something that will enable all of us to see the Darklings... and we know they hate light now. Maybe we can build a weapon against them."  
"Our best weapon is Inferno," Rowen appeared behind the couch, "but we'll need all five armors to form it, and I just don't think Sage is strong enough for that yet, Ryo."  
"...and some crackers. That should settle your stomach some," Cye was telling Sage as they came out of the bathroom. Sage's face was white as milk, dark rings had found themselves homes under his eyes, and his hair hung flat and damp in his face. Cye had his arm around Sage's waist as he led him into the kitchen.  
"I think we should maybe start helping Mia research," Rowen said glancing at the scene, "I've already surfed a few sites at school..." He wandered into the kitchen to see about his friend, ending the conversation on that unfinished note.  
"I hate when he does that," Ryo said, "but he's right, it's time we start helping Mia."  
"Great... just what I look forward to after school, reading more books!" Kento complained slamming his palm down on the coffee table.  
  
"Hey guys," Mia came in late that night, her eyes showed her fatigue, but yet she was smiling, "I have a lot of useful information, and some things we need to do to protect our own."  
"Protect our own?" Kento was questioning, but Mia was already moving on setting down her laptop case and moving to the couch where Sage lie dozing with Cye sitting on the floor in front of him, "Hey sweetie, how are feeling?" Mia shook Sage gently out of his doze.  
Sweetie?  
Sage gazed up at her oddly, "Did you just call me..?"  
"Sage, there's an important thing that I'm going to have to do to you, ok, and I need you awake," Mia said softly.  
"You're talking like you're about to send me to my grave Mia," Sage said sitting up and staring at Mia in confusion.  
Mia didn't reply, causing Sage's eyes to widen with fear, and the others' eyes to cloud with confusion and doubt, "Mia, what needs to happen?"  
"Sage.." Mia addressed Sage, not Rowen who had asked the question, "The Darklings are attracted to you... The mark you wear on your forehead taunts them, it challenges them and draws them to you. If Shivoni were still here, I'm sure there would be no probelm, because her wards were strong... but with her gone, her wards have weakened around you. There's no more real protection from demons for you Sage... you may still be shielded from them, but now they are no longer shielded from you. They can see what you are Sage..."  
"What are you getting at?" Sage was beginning to sound very nervous, not liking the vibes he was getting from Mia.  
"We're going to have to remove your mark," Mia said closing her eyes on the absolute horror that filled Sage's grey eyes, "NO! NO! Anything but that! Let the Darklings have me, anything but that again! I'd rather be dead!" Sage's body was shaking vigorously, his breath came in great gasping sobs. He rose to his feet in an attempt to flee, "It stays! I'd rather be dead than.."  
"Then dead is what you will be!" Rowen yelled in his face, "You'll be dead and so will we, and many other innocent lives! Sage, we can help you through this... You won't be alone."  
"Oh, I know I won't be alone! When the bind is broken I'll never be alone again..." Sage gripped the couch his knuckles showing white, "The voices never go away... the lights, the colors, the shadows...NO NEVER!" Sage fell back onto the couch as a terrible coughing fit wracked his body leaving him gasping for air at its end. Mia rubbed his back lightly and offered soothing words to him as Sage gasped and clutched at his chest in pain. Tears rolled down his pale cheeks, "God... I wanna die now... I hurt so much all over.." He let his feverish head rest in Mia's lap and Mia sat and stroked his blond hair away from his warm face.  
"I think we should leave his mark alone, at least until he's in better shape Mia," Ryo said. He frowned at Sage's pale trembling form, "He's too sick right now to deal with anything."   
"Ryo, he's weak, they're gonna be attracted to him like moths to a flame..." Mia said softly, "I wasn't going to make the move tonight... but tomorrow as soon as possible. Tonight Rowen and I have some work to do.... I've found an idea that may help us keep the Darklings at bay without the sword of Halo. Rowen. I'm gonna need you to help me piece it together, after all you are the genius. I have the supplies to build our project out in the car."  
"And what is this project?" asked Ryo.  
"It's a light generator...it's should be the size of a camping flashlight.. But it will release ultra violet rays.. Pure light enables you to see the Darkling... their outlines at least. I don't think anyone but a Witch could get a clear view of a Darkling..." she eyed Sage warily as she said that.  
"But Sage saw their faces.." Kento butted in.  
"That he did..." Mia said, she shrugged, "I have no explanation for that, except what he told us about that 'silver touch'....I couldn't find anything about it, but it's more than likely the reason why."  
"How are you going to go about removing his mark?" Cye asked.  
"There are a few spells for that actually... and if I have Sage's consent, I should be able to remove it," Mia said, not sounding as confident as the Ronnins would have hoped.  
Sage moaned at the mention of removing his symbol of protection, and Mia pet his head, "It might not be so bad kiddo, but it's gotta happen."  
The Ronnins and Mia sat in silence, "So that's it... We still have no idea how to find the Witches... but we know how to keep the Darklings away from us now. How is that going to protect the world?" Kento asked bitterly.  
"One step at a time Kento, at least now we know how to keep them off our backs... Next step maybe we'll stumble upon something that can find us some Witches. Sage, without that protection, you're going to have access to a lot of power. Who's to say you can't track a Witch," Ryo shrugged.  
"I'm to say he won't be tracking any Witches, at least until his fever breaks! I know we're battling the forces of evil, but health first... He's sick, and like Kento said, he won't be much of a help to us if he passes out!" Cye argued.  
"That's not what I said," Kento looked at Cye, "I said I wasn't gonna carry him..."  
"Whatever!" Cye snapped, "We can't use him."  
"You're talking about me like I'm not here Cye!" Sage complained, "No one has asked me what I wanted to do."  
"Cause you'll say you want to keep your protection," Ryo said smoothly, "Right?"  
Sage closed his eyes and gave no answer.  
"We'll discuss our next move after we finish this first one, ok?" Rowen said trying to smooth over the growing group argument.  
Ryo and Cye looked uneasy but they nodded and agreed to a truce.  
  
"Dude, come on it's good," Kento held the spoon full of steamy chicken broth and noodles to Sage's lips. Sage turned his head away and looked content in staring out the window, "Sage.. Ok, you're scared. You don't know what's going to happen when they take that thing off your head tonight, but I assure you starving yourself is not the solution. If anything you should eat to build your strength back up so you can fight whatever may happen tonight when you're..um... unbound..."  
Sage frowned and turned back to face Kento, "My stomach is full of butterflies Kento. I can't eat."  
"Oh, you can always eat! I can always eat!" Kento said, the soup was smelling mighty good to him, "Cye used all your favorite seasonings in it.." Kento tried to coax him, and ended up coaxing himself, "Want me to taste it for you first? I can tell you how good it is, and then maybe you'll..."  
"Kento if you want to eat it go ahead and be my guest," Sage remarked, "I don't want food."  
Kento groaned, Sage's words tempted him.. But no, "Sage, you need to eat. You've lost weight dude, and your color is bad."  
"Well how do you expect me to look? I'm gonna lose all sanity in a few hours," Sage grumbled turning onto his side and pulling the covers up to his ears, "Go away."  
Kento sighed and set the soup down. He looked at the large comforter with the tufts of blond hair peeping out from underneath it, "I saw Sylvia today."  
Sage perked up. The covers slid down anxiously, "What did she look like?"  
Kento blinked at that question, "Man, she looked sexy, if that's what you're asking...?"  
"No! I mean, did she look sad? Upset? Worried?.." he cringed, "Mad?"  
Kento frowned as Sage sat up, "I'll never get over how much you care for her. I didn't really notice if she looked anything. I guess she did look kind of... preoccupied though. Like she had something on her mind."  
"Something sad? Something happy?"  
"Sage! I don't know, that's your department man... If you must know, I was looking at her legs," Kento looked guilty, he gazed at Sage to see him sporting a small grin, "What'd she say to you?"  
Kento looked dumbfounded, "Wha... What makes you think she said something?"  
"Cause I know she did," Sage snicker, "What'd she say to you?"  
"She called me a perverted pig that needed to go back and wallow in the muddy slop I came from," Kento said bitterly, "I like her looks, but her mouth...."  
"You shouldn't have been drooling anyway," Sage said lying back on his pillows, "Maybe she's home, I can call her!"   
Kento rolled his eyes, but it did please him to see Sage cheer up a bit and smile, "You'd call her in the middle of a tornado!"  
"Well I would have to make sure she's alright!" Sage said matter-of-factly. He sat up in the bed and swung his legs over the side.  
"What are you doing?"  
"Going to get the phone," Sage said simply.   
"Uh-uh, you stay there Lover-boy, I'll go get the phone and bring it to you. While I'm gone... why don't you try some soup before it gets cold?" Kento got up to retrieve the phone leaving Sage to make angry faces after him.   
  
The leatherbound book made a loud thud as it hit the wall then clumped to the tiled floor. Sylvia sat on the floor perpendicular to it, "Stupid book! Stupid spell!" She was crying. No change, no change... her mother was in the same condition she had been in days ago! Why wasn't it working? She could see and feel Sage getting weaker, getting sick like her mother had... but why wasn't her mother getting better? She shuddered as she felt them, the Darklings.. They were here, but at bay because the sun had yet to sink below the horizon yet. It would only be a matter of time before they were found... Her senses told her she should abandon her mission, abandon her mother.... but her heart made her stay a while longer. She couldn't leave her... she still needed her. She dropped her head to her chest and let her tears fall over her cheeks. They wet the front of her blouse. Doctors and nurses thought she was crying for her mother, and in some part she was.. She was crying because soon she and her mother would be dead, murdered, exterminated like insects, by the Darklings. She had no wish to die. She wanted to move on, see more of the worlds, pursue her Craft. Maybe since she was a Witch alone, maybe if she fled now she could make it to one of the other nine worlds..maybe they would take pity and let her take refuge with them. She could be good... and maybe, maybe she could continue on her race with one of them. The race would never be pure again, but at least it wouldn't end.... and if the race had no end, then there would still be hope for the end, the containment of the Darklings... Her foremothers before her had pondered and formulated a spell and plan of capture, or containment of the Darklings, but that was long lost when the Darklings ran the Witches out. Witches had been running for centuries, and Sylvia's mother felt their biggest mistake was splitting up the tribes... Strength came in numbers, and in dividing amongst themselves they were weakened. Sylvia's mother had been a strong well respected Witch... she was going to teach Sylvia how to be just like her. They had only just begun her lessons when her mother fell ill... They thought nothing of it at first, it was a cold, the flu, pneumonia, a complication of the virus... It would pass with proper herbs and potions... but as her mother grew weaker and weaker, Sylvia sought out the help of the human medical world. They had substained her mother until then, but could not cure her. Sylvia had taken the initiative upon herself, and thought she had done so well... thought her mother would be proud... BUT SHE HAD FAILED! FAILED!! What went wrong? I did everything the book asked of me, everything! I even chose a sensational candidate! What...went... wrong? She lost herself in her tears of frustration, of failure.  
The phone rang. Sylvia jerked with a yelp. She stared at the telephone. Who could possibly be calling her? She rose shakily and went to the phone, before answering she took a deep hiking breath, then another, "Ok... Hello?"  
"Syl? What's wrong?"  
"Sage..." her heart sank. Sage, her perfect candidate, an innocent soul, her love. She felt her heart constrict as she uttered that thought to herself... Yes, she did love him. Everytime she thought of him she felt her heart drop... She tried to think of him as little as possible, after all, she was the one hurting him, "Um.. Uh.. Nothing. How are you? Your friends tell me you're sick."  
"Yeah..." he said with a groan, "I wanted to come see you today, but the guys are playing warden and won't let me out of the house at all."  
Sylvia smiled in spite of herself... she found little to be desired in Sage's friends, but she admired how well they cared for their own, "They're good friends."  
"Yeah they are, annoying, but good," Sage chuckled, "So, how's your Mom?"  
Sylvia felt like someone had stabbed her in the chest, "She... she's the same Sage..." She'll always be that way and thanks to my screw up, you may be too.  
"Oh.. I'm sorry Syl. I wish there was something I could do," Sage sounded so sad... Now the knife in her chest was being twisted. How could he sound so sad for someone he didn't even know? Maybe it is the love spell, she finally decided. She set his eyes to where they would only see her... but even so, she felt as if his true nature was altruistic, "Maybe I could sneak away..."  
"No, no stay in bed," Sylvia said in a tired voice, "I'm ok here. I may come to see you though."  
"Oh really?" Sage's voice sounded happy, happy but tired, "Today? Tomorrow, when?"  
Sylvia couldn't help but smile at his enthusiam.. Oh Sage how would it be without the spell? Would you still sound so happy to see me? Would you still be so worried about my wellfare? Would you still find it in your heart to love me? Would you have treated me like those other girls who look your way with doting eyes? What would it be like, if I were normal.. If I were human? Could I really have been your girlfriend?   
"Sylvia? Syliva? SYL?!!"  
"Oh, I'm sorry. Um, I don't know really. Maybe tomorrow, I'm going to be with Mom today," Sylvia said in barely a whisper.   
"Oh, ok," Sage said, she heard him stifle a cough, "I look forward to it. I haven't seen you in a while!"  
"It's only been a few days," she wiped at her eyes, and giggled softly.  
"It feels like it's been years! I'm writing you a new poem. I know you love dungeons and dragons as much as I do so I started this a few days ago..."  
Oh Sage... we have so much in common, but so little knowledge of each other. She had been surprised when she learned of Sage's passion for the medieval times. She had also loved those times.. But she had also been there. Sylvia had spun tale around tale of princesses and magicians and dragons around him in their month together while she weaved her spell about him. His poetry was as ethereally beautiful as he was in her eyes. She wondered if he had not cast a spell over her as well. After a week of snaring him, she had become snared as well.   
"I'm sure its beautiful," Sylvia said in a soft whisper.  
"It is... it's about you," Sage said, she could hear his smile... see his eyes sparkling at her. How could anyone think he was cold? Anyone who thought so, just never bothered to step inside of those looks, those piercing eyes, and look around. Sage was a person of beauty and wisdom, who loved beauty and wisdom to their full aspects. His philosophy could be so beautiful at times it brought tears to her eyes. How could he hide such art? How could he be ashamed of his poetry? Syliva had met his parents once... His mother was a graceful woman with hair of liquid amber as well... and in her face, she could see where Sage had inherited his beauty and philosophy. His father, his father was a broad man of intelligence and cunning, dark and brooding... His grandfather seemed to be the key to Sage's inherent virtue of wisdom. Sage had so much going for him.. And she had taken that away, "I can't wait for you to come. I have to introduce you to Mia!" Sage was going on.  
Sylvia felt herself sliding down to the floor. There she sat holding the phone listening to Sage's pleasant chatter, there was yelling in the background.. She heard Sage sigh, "I have to go now Syl... I'll..I'll see you tomorrow?"  
He sounded so wistful, like his heart would break if he thought that maybe she wouldn't show up..if she said no.. "Yes Sage, I'll see you tomorrow, right after school."  
"Ok," Sage said sounding pleased, and tired, "I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."  
Sylvia paused before repeating the phrase, "I love you...too."  
The line disconnected.... But would you still love me if you knew what I was doing to you? 


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11   
  
"One more time...," Rowen was grumbling as he typed in "run" on the computer. His tired eyes roamed the computer screen to see that it was going through the motions of running the program. His swiveled in his computer chair to the large light contraption behind him, and watched with hope as the computer began to feed programs to it through a wire.. Please.. Please.... The contraption resembled a large flashlight with a side pannel, a mini computer... that was what Rowen was desperately trying to program. Come on, come on... he was pleading with the pannel, work, work... The keys began to blink and the small screen flashed to life. "YES!" he cried out, "I DID IT!" He began to dance around using his swivel chair as a partner. Mia entered the room sipping on a cup of coffee and holding a second cup meant for Rowen, she smiled in amusement at him, "Let me guess... It works."  
"OH YEAH!" Rowen shouted. He went back to the computer and watched the final transfer in process and began to whoop again, "It's done." Rowen crept back to the machine and pressed a button on the pannel, watching it flash and the command come up on the screen, "It's done... It's time for bed now Mia..." She watched him collapse back in his chair falling into an instant slumber. She had never seen anyone fall asleep so suddenly and so deeply. In a way she envied him. "Hey guys!" Mia called to Ryo and Cye who she knew were in the next room. The night was still young and she wanted to take a nap before she would start....  
Ryo and Cye came into the room, "What's with all the shouting? Did it spark a circuit again?"  
Mia laughed and shook her head, "No, it works.. And Rowen is knocked out, can you two get him to bed?"  
"Yeah sure," Cye said walking to the chair where Rowen sat with his upper body sprawled over the back of his chair.   
"So this is it?" Ryo asked walking around the light generator.  
"Yeah, this is it," Mia said, "It took all night and most of today, but it's done."  
"And the spell...?"  
Mia smiled, "Well I give Rowen most of the credit for the light generator. I just found the instructions, I was up learning how to do the removal spell. I feel confident I can do this."  
Ryo nodded, then looked at her, "Do you think we're doing the right thing?"  
"With Sage you mean?"  
"Yeah... he's not too happy about this."  
"Really? He looked down right ecstatic when I saw him last," Mia said with a chuckle.  
"He did?"  
"I think Kento let him call a certain girl named..."  
"Sylvia?!! Kento! Great, now he's going ot be in lala land while we need him!" Ryo was grumbling.  
"Well I'd rather have him in lala land than fighting us every step of the way tonight," Cye was grunting under Rowen's dead weight, "A little help here Ryo?"  
"Oh," Ryo went to join Cye. He took one of Rowen's arms and slung it over his shoulder, "Lets get him to bed."  
"It works..." Rowen was muttering, "I'm a genius... It works.... Mommy wanna read a bedtime story..."  
"I wish I had a tape recorder," Cye was chuckling, "I wonder if he'll answer questions..."   
Ryo shot Cye a michievous look, "I bet he will... Hmmm... Rowen, is there a certain girl that you like?"  
Rowen moaned, "Mmmmmn.. Yeah..."  
"Who is she?"  
"Well, it's not Mia cause she has the mad hots for Ryo.."   
"Ugh!" Cye and Ryo shoved Rowen away as he stumbled from them laughing. He straightened up, "It's true, she talks in her sleep too... You should have heard some of the things she said!"  
"Will you guys just shut up about that?" Ryo sounded volatile.  
"I think he's blushing," Cye murmured to Rowen, who nodded and yawned loudly.  
"You really should get to bed," Cye urged him.  
Rowen was nodding rubbing his eyes with his fist, "That's where I'm headed... don't wake me up for 'uh' month!" He was about to start up the stairs when Sage came running down and nearly collided with him, "Hey, where are you going so fast?" Rowen had tiredly caught him by the arm.  
"Um... I...."  
"You were sneaking out!" Ryo eyed Sage's attire suspiciously. He was wearing dark jeans and a long sleeve pullover.   
"I... was not," Sage said , "What makes you think that?"  
"Who's that box for?" Ryo shot at him eyeing the object Sage had behind his back, "You were going to see her, weren't you?"  
Sage looked down guiltily.  
"Damn it Sage," Ryo spoke, "Are we going to have to chain you to your bed? Where's Kento? Wasn't he supposed to be...?" There was noise from the kitchen. The four Ronnin Warriors peeked in to see Kento with the large pot of chicken noodle soup in front of him and a box of crackers.   
"Take your sneaky ass back up those stairs and to bed!" Ryo's eyes were large with disbelief, "We have something serious to do tonight, concerning you."  
"Oh come on, Sylvia sounded so upset. I think she was crying," Sage was fidgeting, "She said she would come tomorrow.. But I gotta see her tonight. She's all alone, and I think her mom's not doing so good."  
"Sage, you're not doing so good," Cye said resting his hand on Sage's forehead, "You are taking asprin right?"  
Sage nodded.  
"Guys I know we have... this thing...to do tonight, but I think it's time we call a doctor," Cye looked concerned.  
Rowen frowned and touched Sage's forehead as well and made a face, "Damn... Look, maybe we shouldn't do this tonight. Come on, I'm gonna take your temperature. "  
"Maybe we should call his mom, she's a doctor," Cye was following Rowen who was propelling Sage into the kitchen.   
Ryo stared after them. They couldn't call Mrs. Date! She'd demand Sage go home. They had a mission. Ryo followed his friends into the kitchen. No matter how worried he was about Sage's physical well-being... that had to be set aside. They were the Ronnin Warriors, and one of the key attributes to being that, is self sacrificing. "Guys..." Ryo said softly.  
Rowen handed Sage the thermometer and let him put it in his own mouth, "Guys..."  
"You are so hot," Cye kept saying placing his hand on Sage's forehead and cheeks, "Just where did you think you were going tonight?" The question was rhetorical, of course, and the thunderous look in Cye's eyes dared Sage to be a wise guy and comment.   
"Guys we can't call Mrs. Date..."  
Both Rowen and Cye turned to Ryo, "And why not? She's his mother and a doctor. He'll get the best care..."  
"She'll want him home, she won't let him stay, and we need him."  
"Ryo you can't be serious!" Cye's mouth dropped open.  
"Cye, it's our job... We can't..."  
"Well gee Ryo, we always had Sage pegged as being the heartless one, when all along it was you!" Kento pushed away his soup, "We need to be strong, and we can't be strong one member down. He needs help. The sooner we get it for him, the sooner he'll get better, then the sooner we can fight these monsters.."  
Ryo was shaking his head, "Kento, we don't have the time. If time wasn't of the essence then of course I would want to call Sage's mom...We can't Kento... This is our calling and we have to fight."  
Kento glared at Ryo, "One hundred and three point six," Rowen was looking at the cylinder Sage had just removed from his lips, he laid his hand on Sage's forehead again, "How long ago did you take an asprin?"  
Sage bit his lip as he tried to remember, "A few hours ago."  
"I'm gonna give ya two more buddy," Rowen said turning to the medicine cabinet, he stopped briefly and glanced back at Ryo, "and if your temp doesn't go down, I'm taking you to the Emergency Room."  
Sage grimaced at hearing that, but suddenly perked up, "Hey, if we go, can we go to the hospital Sylvia is.."  
"If I hear one more word about Sylvia I'll scream!" Kento cried, "Quick find something else to put in his mouth before he says that name again!"  
Cye smirked at Kento and watched as Rowen poured two capsules into Sage's hand, "I don't know what you have. I wanna say it's the flu... Cye, maybe we could...?"  
Cye bit his lip in thought and nodded, "Hey Kento? Think your Mom knows any kind of home remedy for..."  
Kento's face lit up, knowing that he could finally be helpful to his friends, "Of course! Mama knows all! I'll give her a call and write down what she says, ok?"  
Rowen looked a little troubled, "I still think we should call Sage's Mom."  
Ryo sighed, but said nothing. Rowen peeked at him from the corner of his eye and dropped that subject. Kento was leaning against the kitchen counter with the phone to his ear dialing his home number.  
Sage had taken a seat at the kitchen table and laid his head down on his arms on the table. His blond hair mopped the polished wood of the table.  
"I hate playing the jerk..." Ryo muttered to himself, but just loud enough for the others to hear him.  
"Well you play the part well," Rowen said.  
"He is only trying to be our leader," Cye said in Ryo's defense, softly.  
"Some leader," Rowen snorted.  
"Rowen..." Cye began, but Rowen made a face, "I understand what he's trying to do, and what he's saying, but it's still rotten and I'm going to be bitter about it."  
"Rowen, I know it's rotten too. How do you think it makes me feel to have to say things like that? I know how sick he feels..."  
Rowen shook his head, "No you don't. If you did, you wouldn't be in here antagonizing us. Ryo, you're not there in the middle of the night when he's doubled over a trashcan hurling his insides. You're not the one that rubs his back and makes runs to and from the bathroom for more water and giving him cough syrup when he can't stop coughing long enough to fall asleep. This is serious Ryo, as serious as these Darklings. I know we have duty, I know we have to stop them, but in my book a friend is a little more important, and if it means he's out of the fight, then so be it. I agree with Mia when it comes to the removal of that mark, because that makes him vulnerable to them... it's for his protection, but this fight will be better fought without him. Why do you think I stayed up all night without a fuss building that light contraption... So we can see the Darklings ourselves, so we wouldn't need Sage and Halo."  
"Rowen, 4 of us can't take these things! Sage is the strongest against them, and we haven't even tried out Inferno on them. And we can't without Halo."  
Rowen was growling and ready to go on another rampage, "He's right Rowen..." Sage said in a flat voice, "You need me."  
Rowen threw the bottle of pills he held in his hands across the kitchen only feeling satisfied as it struck the wooden counter shattering the cap. Pills sprayed over the kitchen floor in a pink rainfall, "Damn it, damn it all! Screw destiny, screw duty, screw being a Warrior! We have to give up our lives, sell our souls to protect the people who don't appreciate us, the people who do nothing to help themselves! I am 16 years old and I freakin' don't have a life! I've got no other friends, no girlfriends... no family..." His chest was heaving and his shoulders trembled at his outburst. He leaned his head against the wall as hot tears of frustration poured down his face. He had to admit, though he was embarrassed the catharsis felt good, really good.. That had been on his mind for a long time.   
"Rowen..." he felt a hand hesitantly touching his shoulder, "It's hard," Ryo began, "Do you think I like this either? Don't you think for once I'd like to just chill at home and not have to worry about darkness claiming souls and monsters wreaking havoc? I'd like to just watch TV, and not have to stay alert just in case some portal opens up and creatures start popping out to take over the world. I'd like a girlfriend," he shot a look at Sage, "But Rowen, we were chosen. We should be honored... something inside us makes us special, makes us different from other people, and we shouldn't throw it away. We shouldn't fight against it. It's our gift that we have been given to share with the world. We can't be stingy, Rowen. With power comes responsibility..."  
"I never asked for it... You never asked for it..." Rowen was muttering, "It's not an honor or a gift, it's a curse...." He looked up at Sage, finally really and truly understanding Sage's complex over unleashing his binded power, "It's a curse for the bearer to carry, but for the lookers on to cherish, and take advantage of."  
Rowen lowered his head again letting his long blue bangs fall over his eyes and cast a shadow over the rest of his face, "I feel like it's a punishment, and I don't know what I ever did that was so bad that I have to bear this cross... What cruel god found it amusing? We'll die for the lives and honors of others who can't even bring themselves to acknowledge we exist...and we can't even bring attention to ourselves to make them. What kind of glory is in that?"  
"Rowen, glory is a personal thing," Sage said, "What you feel inside when you have done a good thing, for the sole reason of it being good. It's what separates us and puts us above certain others.. We fight for the greater good, we'll make the world a safer place, and we'll know that we did it. It's what gives us our pride, glory, and honor, and we can forever hold our heads up high. Rowen we were chosen to be on the ultimate team..just like you're picked to be on the varsity basketball team or football team, we're on Good's team. We were chosen and they were not. Why you could almost stick your tongue at them, they weren't good enough..." Sage smirked, "I know sometimes, well rather all the time, it's dangerous and it seems like we get nothing from it...but the promise of a new day Rowen. For every day we fight comes the birth of a new day where the sun will shine... And we know, you know, that without us it wouldn't be possible. Rowen, that's what this is about. As long as we're here, there's hope. Rowen, we've been blessed with the gift of hope. Don't cast it out or destroy it...because without hope, there's nothing."  
Four pairs of eyes stared at Sage, "Perhaps I should write another poem?" he cracked to break the silence.  
"That was awesome man," Kento simply commented shaking his head, "You get all that Ro, we're hope."  
Rowen nodded solemnly, his face pale, but inspired, "Yeah, I got it."  
"Now the question is, what are you gonna do with it?" Ryo asked evenly.  
Rowen narrowed his eyes at Ryo, "I'm gonna take a nap..." Ryo's mouth was beginning to open again, "I'll need some rest before we go through with tonight." He gazed meaningfully at Sage, "Sage, you should get some rest as well."  
Sage's face fell, for he realized not only had the speech he'd given inspire Rowen, but he had also sealed his own fate with it, "Damn." 


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
  
Mia held the small laser light to Sage's forehead shining it at an angle. As she intensified the light she slowly began to see the strange symbol on Sage's brow... "I see it."  
Sage let loose a shudder, this was really happening.  
"Let me get a look," Rowen moved to stand beside Mia. Sage sat in the swivel chair Mia kept at her desk, "Hmmn..." he frowned looking puzzled, he shrugged, "You ready?"  
Mia nodded, then realized the question was not for her. She gazed at Sage who was shaking like a leaf. She gave him a warm hug or reassurance. Sage gazed up at her fearfully, "Mia, will you let Rowen do it, and you hold my hand?"  
Mia blinked, Sage had whispered the request to her softly... a tone of pure desperation and fear in his voice. Mia pulled away from him slowly and gave him a small nod, "Rowen, I think you memorized the procedure slightly better than I did."  
Rowen actually cocked a grin, "Yeah.. I figured we had better get it right..." he frowned at the mark again, "Lets do this."  
Mia took Sage's hand gently within hers and felt his fingers tighten around her hand, their palms cold and sweaty. Rowen now held the laser light, he began to say a strange assortment of words, mostly in Latin, some in Arabic... Mia didn't quite understand why the languages were mixed, but she was amazed at how well Rowen spoke them togther. He held his hand over Sage's forehead. Mia felt Sage's hand tighten around hers as his face grew paler. Something was happening.. Mia could feel the tension building in the room...a certain energy surrounding them. A few papers flew from her desk, Rowne kept chanting in the foreign language his voice crescendoing to a pitch loud enough to be heard over the noise... yes there was noise... it sounded like the gates of Hell were crashing open.. It sounded like a tornado... Sage's head was jerked backward his eyes closing an odd thing was happening. Mia gasped as she saw the symbol trying to rise... but it was as if it was fighting itself. The symbol would be pulled back onto Sage's flesh every time it peaked. Sage was hyperventilating. His hand clutching Mia's with more ferocity than she could take. She wanted her hand back he was crushing it. Finally it all stopped, the gates of Hell closed... There was a silence like the eye of a storm. Mia sat dumbfounded still holding onto the limp hand, Rowen stood flushed and dazed looking breathing rather hard and looking shaken, "It didn't work."  
"Then what the hell happened?" Mia asked in a soft voice. She pried her hand away from Sage's and reached over to lean his head forward. His skin was chalky and his eyes were dark.. They opened hesitantly to peer at Rowen and Mia.  
There was a knock on the door.  
"Come in guys," Rowen said, he sounded defeated, "It didn't work."  
"Well it sure as hell did something," Kento said his hair looking wildy disarrayed, "Stuff started blowing everywhere!"  
Rowen was shaking his head, "I don't know. It looked like it was working! It should have worked! But the symbol kept being.. The symbol..." Rowen held the light to Sage's sweaty brow once again, "There's something odd about it Mia..."  
Rowen opened the book Mia had brought... he flipped through every symbol there was at a rapid speed, so fast one wouldn't think he had even glanced at them, "There's no symbol like that in this book... and this is everything... I think.."  
"What Rowen?" Mia looked at Rowen curiously, "I don't understand how the mark couldn't be in there!"  
"Maybe because it's not just a mark.. Maybe there are marks..." Rowen frowned over his new hypothesis, "What if the symbol we see on his brow is really a mark placed on top of another one?"  
"No," Sage said stiffly, he began to cough. The others waited patiently for his spasm to end, after he cleared his throat, "Only Shivoni has marked me... Shivoni would not have marked me if someone else already had... and she'd be able to tell if someone tried to overshadow her own bind. It would trigger her to come to my aid."  
"But Sage... now that she's gone, maybe she can't sense it as well as she could have," Rowen said, "Or maybe she did, but now she's too far away to matter. The bind's starting to slip up Sage."  
Sage made a face, "I haven't been... There has been no one to mark me! I mean, I think I would notice.. A bind takes time, and contact."  
Rowen's feautures had worked itself into a deeper frown as he continued to brainstorm, his brain working at a mile per minute. His eyes darkened. He opened the book again, "Sage, point out Shivoni's signature again."  
Sage frowned and took the book from Rowen, after a few minutes he was pointing, "That one.."  
"Mmmhmm," Rowen gazed at the tulip-like shape... then he began to thumb through the book for another page. He looked rather frustrated, he held the book in one hand and pulled Sage with the other. He went to Mia's computer and began opening programs, and had Sage sit on the stool beside him.   
"Uh-oh, Professor Rowen is at it again," Kento snorted.   
"What are you up to Rowen?" asked Ryo coming to stand beside him.  
"I'm gonna try out Shivoni's signature with one's of other witches and see what I can come up with..." Rowen's sharp gaze was locked on the computer screen.  
"I guess this means yet another late night for us, aye Rowen?" Mia came to stand behind Rowen and take his shoulders in her hands. Rowen only nodded with a groan, "Oh my bed.. How I neglect it!   
"Sage, I'm gonna need you to hold really still, I'm gonna try to scan that signature onto the computer," Rowen typed something into the computer, then felt along its back for something. He perked as he located the shape and proceeded to unhook the end piece of the laser light he and Mia had used to view Sage's mark. "Mia, is the cord thingy...whatever over there..." lack of sleep was clearly affecting Rowen, he waved his hand absently, and began to search for the cable.  
Mia opening the first drawer at the computer desk and located it right away. She tapped Rowen's shoulder and he nearly jumped, "Thanks..." he plugged the cord into the light and then the light into the CPU. "Ok, close your eyes and hold still..." after a moment, "Damn it... Oh.. Ok, now hold still."  
"I can't hold still forever.."  
"I know that, shut up!" Rowen snapped he slowly began to run the light over Sage's forehead scanning in each bit of information piece by piece, after a minute or so, "Ok, you can move. But stay here, I want ya to take a look at this thing.. Maybe it'll be familiar to you."  
"Ok."  
Rowen tapped his fingers on the desk impatiently waiting for the image to load, "Come on... come on..." The image slowly began to appear starting from top to bottom on the computer screen, and Rowen immediately enlarged it so Sage could get a better view.  
Sage stared at the strange symbol in silence, "That's what's on my head?"  
"Yes," Mia said softly, she ran a gentle hand through his hair, "Look like anything familiar?"  
Sage stared at it a little longer and shivered, "No... what is it?" his voice shook, "And how did it get on me?" He raised a hand to his forehead and rubbed at the area absently.  
"That's what we're going to find out buddy," Rowen said glancing at Sage's horrified look with concern, "Don't worry about it, I'm sure it's not hurting you."  
"But how did it get there?" Sage's voice cracked in his frustration and fear, "You can't just mark someboy you can't... It's not that easy..."   
"Sage, calm down," Mia soothed, "Maybe Shivoni..."  
"Shivoni didn't do this..." Sage shuddered, "Damn it. I hate this!" He lie his head on the computer desk, Mia rubbed his back, "Sage, you should get back in bed, honey."  
"Mia's right," Cye said softly, he took one of Sage's arms, "I'll help you into bed."  
Sage slowly yielded to Cye's tugging and stood up, "I don't need an escort," he said moodily, he jerked free of Cye's hold.   
"I'm not escorting you Sage, I'm simply walking with you so that I may enjoy your good company," Cye said with a smile. Cye, always the peacemaker, forever the caretaker. Sage shrugged and allowed Cye to take hold of his arm again and walk him out.  
As soon as both Cye and Sage were out of ear range, "Ok, anything else we find out about this thing, we keep from Sage," Ryo said firmly. He leaned down between Mia and Rowen to spy the strange symbol on the computer, "You guys are gonna need a lot of help. Now I don't know much about computers, but you can print out a couple of those designs and we can try them out the old fashion way."  
Mia smiled at Ryo warmly, "That's a wonderful idea.. In fact, Rowen, why don't I take over at the computer, and with Ryo helping me out, I won't need you..."  
"Mia, three pairs of eyes are better than..." he caught the look Kento was giving him, "What the...? Oh... oh, ok. I could really use the sleep, I need to go to school tomorrow."   
He and Kento left the room quickly barely concealing their grins.  
Both Mia and Ryo watched them leave with curious looks on their faces, "What was that about?"  
Ryo shrugged, "I dunno."  



	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13  
  
"Sylvia," Rowen was surprised to say the least. He went to school with her everyday, but it wasn't everday that he ran into her. Sylvia sure knew how to make herself scarce, unless she was playing the role of trophy girlfriend on Sage's shoulder. Sylvia looked as surprised to see him as he was to see her, maybe she found Rowen to be as evasive as she was, unless he was around Sage. But for them both to be evasive except around Sage would have to mean that Sage himself had to be pretty evasive too.. He blinked at his odd thoughts.. Lack of sleep always did it to him, "Hi Rowen," she spoke to him, her voice was clear and silvery as a concert flute in its lowest registers.  
Rowen cleared his throat and looked rather uncomfortable. It seemed odd for this to be his best friend's girlfriend and him not to know enough about her to even exchange pleasantries without feeling uncomfortable. "Well..." he was about to dismiss himself, but she spoke up, "How is Sage?"  
Rowen raised his eyes and looked into her face. Such a pretty face, and her tilted blue-green eyes were filled with so much concern...and a longing that warmed Rowen to the girl instantly. She cared about his friend, "He's really sick, but he's still stubborn as a mule and won't admit it."   
Sylvia smiled lightly, "That sounds like him."  
"He tells us you're coming by this afternoon?"  
"Oh," Sylvia looked startled by Rowen's knowledge of her visit, "Yes, I promised him I would come. I'm not much of a cook, or I would have made him some soup, or cookies, or something. He'll just have to settle for the flowers I'm going to bring him."  
Rowen chuckled and shook his head, "Right about now I think he'll except anything if it comes from you."  
Sylvia's smile was a little sad, her eyes a little wistful at Rowen's words. She toyed with the pendant of the chain she wore around her neck. Rowen was about to ask her what was wrong when his eyes fell upon the charm. Her small fingers caressed its designed edges... The design was very intricate, and also very old, Rowen knew. He frowned as he thought about where he had seen that before.  
"Rowen?"  
"Huh? Oh I'm sorry Sylvia, I've been up late studying every night this week. I'm a total zombie today," well it wasn't exactly a lie, he had been up late every night, but as of then he was far from being a zombie. The wheels in his head were turning furiously.   
"Oh, that's right. Sage says you're the genius of the bunch. Maybe you can help me study sometime," she said with a small smile touching his arm. The touch sent chills up Rowen's arms and he focused all his energy on not shuddering from her touch. What had made him react so to her? "I'll see you this afternoon?"  
"Um.. Yeah," Rowen nodded to her, and smiled at her as she left. Good Lord... the shudder he had surpressed worked itself to the outside, "She gives me the creeps... why?" And could it have anything to do with that symbol she wears around her neck?  
  
"Is there a reason why you're in such an agreeable mood this afternoon?" Cye asked Sage, watching him in the bathroom mirror. Sage stood studying his reflection, looking rather worried, "Cye, you think I look ok?"  
Cye nearly choked on the gum he was chewing, "Huh?" Feeling rather uncomfortable, "Um.. Sage..."  
Sage turned around to frown at Cye, "What's wrong with you?" He narrowed his eyes at Cye who was squirming awkwardly, "Honestly, you're acting like I'm coming onto you or something." He turned back to face the mirror, frowning at his complexion, "Damn... What can I do to give my face more color?"  
Cye was visibly relaxing, the thought of his friend hitting on him had churned his stomach, "Why are you fawning over yourself today? You haven't cared for... oh..." Cye smiled knowingly.  
"What are you grinning about Cye?" asked Sage looking at him through the mirror.  
"You're nervous about Sylvia coming over today," Cye laughed, "You don't want her to see you looking anything less than perfect.  
"That's..."  
"Sage, from what you say, that girl's in love with you. She's not gonna care what you look like, "Cye said shaking his head. Sage turned around to face Cye again, "But she's so perfect... all the time."  
Cye shook his head, "Sage, no one is perfect, especially not all the time. You're being ridiculous. Now come on out of here, I want to see you eat something."  
Sage blinked and stepped away from the sink, "Ok." He followed Cye out of the bathroom.   
"Sage..."  
"Rowen," Sage returned, he tried to maneuver passed him to continue following Cye, but Rowen grabbed his arm, "What?"  
"I...um...spoke to Sylvia today," Rowen said, keeping his eyes on Sage's face. Sage's face brightened at the very mention of her name, "What'd she say?"  
"Sage... what do you know about her?" Rowen pressed, instead of answering Sage's questions.  
"What do I know about her? Well just that she's beautiful and intelligent, and graceful, and..."  
"No, Sage, facts. Like where is she from?" Rowen strengthened his grip on Sage's arm, he gave him a little shake, "Where did she tell you she was from?"  
"Rowen," Cye began with a little warning in his voice.  
Sage stared at Rowen oddly, "She's from Salt Lake City, Utah... United States of America. She and my mother..."  
"Did you ever see a driver's license or any kind of identification on her?- any pictures?"  
"I... no," Sage shook his head, he chewed his lip and scratched his head, "come to think of it, I've never seen any pictures of her or her mother.. But then again, they're in a hospital, those rooms can't be too personalized..."  
"Her apartment Sage, I know you've been there..."  
"Only one room, and only once... Rowen, why are you interrogating me, what did she say to you?" Sage's tone was getting defensive.  
"It's not what she said Sage," Rowen said in a quiet voice, "It was just something she had on her... I... Look I'm sorry. I'm gonna go back to Mia's study, I have to look something up."  
Sage nodded still staring at Rowen with a confused expression in his eyes.  
"Sage..." Rowen turned back around to peer at his friend was beginning to head towards the stairs again, "Be careful around that girl, ok?"  
"Yeah.. Sure Ro," Sage blinked, then he turned back to Cye after Rowen left, "I think Rowen needs to switch to decaf."  
  
"There is something in that necklace, there has gotta be," pages whirred furiously as Rowen turned them. That symbol, he had seen it before, he knew it! He groaned as he felt a page slice into his index finger, "Damn it..." He gently placed his finger into his mouth wincing at the sharp coppery taste of blood. He glanced down at the page and his eyes fell over the signature he had damped with his blood... No... he removed his finger from his mouth and with both hands brought the book closer to his face, "No...." He brought the book over to the computer and laid it down on the desk. He clicked the on switch and waited for the computer to load. Please don't let it be what I fear it might... As soon as the computer was ready Rowen opened the familiar program and pulled up his file with the scanned image of Sage's mark of protection. Beneath it he had the image of Shivoni's signature. He stared at the two for a bit, before scanning the new symbol he had located. Once the image had been encoded he quickly cut it from its original frame. He sighed deeply as he took the mouse and dragged the new image over the old image of Shivoni's... He gazed at the newly created signature... and at the one on Sage's brow and felt his stomach sink into his intestines... they were a match, an exact, identical match... Oh Sage, you're going to hate me. Rowen rested his tired head in his hands... Not only had Sylvia marked him as her own, making her a witch.. But not just any witch... she was a Witch, the ones they were searching for. And she was probably leading the Darklings right to them... or rather Sage.  
"But why would she mark him?" Rowen wondered aloud, territory maybe. He nodded, Sage was her boyfriend.. Maybe it was a Witch thing, to mark your beau. Maybe that's why she disregarded the previous mark Sage bore on his forehead... His head ached from lack of sleep and too many thoughts to ponder... But there was one thought in his mind that didn't take much pondering for him to figure out the solution to the problem. In no way could Sylvia be allowed to be alone with Sage... not anymore.  
  
"Cye, I don't like pickles on my tomato sandwiches," Sage was complaining.  
"Well then take them off," Cye said rolling his eyes.  
"But there will still be pickle juice on the bread," Sage moaned. He pushed the sandwich away and rested his head on his arms in front of the steaming bowl of chicken and vegetable soup.  
"Sage, you were being so good," Cye groaned, "Please," he made Sage sit up and he handed him the spoon, "at least eat a little soup."   
Sage let his head droop before he nodded and tried to obey Cye. He dipped his spoon in the soup and brought it to his lips. He took a timid sip from the spoon and set the spoon back in the bowl grimacing as the hot liquid hit his stomach like rocks. "Does it taste alright?"  
Sage nodded, "It's good." He retrieved the spoon again and took another sip of soup. He let the spoon fall back in the bowl and he leaned back in his chair, "That's all Cye. I can't force down anymore. I feel so full."  
"You've had two teaspoons of soup Sage... two teaspoons of soup in 4 days," Cye sat down next to him, "Mama Fuan said this soup would cure anyone of a loss of appetite..." He looked at Sage, studying him with a worried look in his eyes, "Have you ever been this sick before Sage?"  
Sage looked over to Cye, "No... never. I've never really been sick... except when I was really young, but I don't remember that."   
"I hope you don't have pneumonia," Cye was muttering running his hands over his face, "Does it hurt to breathe in or do you have difficulty breathing out?"  
Sage smiled lightly at Cye and shook his head, "No... I don't think it's pneumonia Cye." He groaned, "Don't look so worried. It's a flu, a virus.. I'll be better in a few days. It's not abnormal to have a loss of appetite when you've got a fever."  
"Fevers aren't supposed to last thing long either. You've been running a fever since Friday," Cye said.  
"Fevers are self defense mechanisms. It's just burning up the germs," Sage said simply, "It'll break soon."   
Cye frowned, "You wanna call your mom?"  
Sage flinched, "I'd be packing if I did. She'd come get me as soon as she got herself out of work."  
"Maybe that's not such a bad thing," Cye said, "You want something cool to drink?"  
Sage shook his head, "Hot please."  
"If you've still got chills then that means your temp's still going up," Cye said in a low voice, "I...Sage, I'm gonna call your Mom."  
"Cye please, you're just going to make this more complicated. Lets just do what we have to.. Deal with the... Wicthes, Darklings, whatever... and if I'm still sick after that, which I won't be, you can call my mother."  
"Sage, if you're not dead..." Cye stood up, "She'd be at work, now, or taking a break?"   
Sage lowered his head to the table, "She's probably doing rounds Cye..."  
Cye nodded, "I'll page her." He lifted the phone from the hook and was beginning to dial when the doorbell rang. "It's Sylvia. Cye could you...?"  
Cye groaned, "Oh Sage.. Alright..." Cye set the phone back on its cradle and left the kitchen. Sage ran a hand through his hair, and checked his reflection in the shining black ceramic of the microwave. He knew better than to check his reflection in a spoon. He heard voices in the foyer, one voice making his stomach flutter. It was her. He bit his lip and checked himself over one more time before he left the kitchen and went to intercept Sylvia. He entered the living room just as Cye was ushering her in. His breath caught... she was dressed casually in jeans and a sweater that clung to her every curve. She looked up and her beautiful tilted eyes met his, "Hi," she said shyly with a smile that lit up her eyes. "Hi," he said back also smiling. They gazed at each other for a while, neither missing Cye's quick grin and exit.   
"How've you been?" they both asked at the same time, then laughed. Sage approached her and they hugged. She kissed his cheek lightly and rested her hand on his cheek, "You're burning up." Sage smiled, "I feel a lot better now." He said moving his hand to cover the one on his face.  
Sylvia laughed lightly, her voice like bells, "Let's sit down. Let me take care of you for a bit."  
Sage nodded, and he and Sylvia sat down on the couch.   
  
Cye traveled to his room still smiling about Sage and Sylvia, they made the best couple. Sylvia still unnverved him a bit, there was just something about her that bothered him, but she was wonderful for Sage, influence or not. Maybe she could get Sage to want to call his mother? Cye was opening his door to his room, but turned as he heard the door to the study open.  
"Cye, did I hear a doorbell?"  
"Oh yes, it was Sylvia," Cye said.  
"She's downstairs?" Rowen's face went pale, "Now?" he squeaked.  
"Yes Rowen, what is the mater with you?" Cye frowned at his friend, "She and Sage are talking, and he looked so happy to see her." Cye smiled thinking about it, "Maybe she'll be the medicine he needs."  
Rowen swore under his breath, "Or the poison..."   
"What? Rowen where are you.. Rowen?!" Cye watched as Rowen ran towards the stairs and tore down them.  
"What in the hell?" Cye wondered aloud, he opened the door to his room to find Kento inside.. Studying? He approached the desk cautiously not wanting to disturb Kento's learning process, "KENTO!" Kento's head fell off his fist. He had been having the best nap.  
"Some studying, if you fail another test it will be your own fault!" Cye walked past Kento and flopped down on his bed.  
"Well if the stuff wasn't so boring then I wouldn't be asleep," Kento grumbled, he looked back down at his book and continued on with the picture he was doodling in his textbook.  
"What's up with Rowen, Kento?" Cye asked from his bed, he was staring at the ceiling.  
"His grades," Kento muttered bitterly.  
"No, he's acting weird. Maybe its sleep deprivation."  
"Maybe it's stress," Kento said, "and sleep deprivation."  
"Yeah," Cye sighed.  
"Why, he walking around mumbling stuff again?" Kento asked turning from his book and spinning his chair around to face Cye.  
"No... he's just.. Well being really weird about Sage and Sylvia."  
"Well maybe he's getting Ryo syndrome?" Kento suggested, "Was that Sylvia at the door?"  
Cye nodded, "You should see them They are like two kids on Christmas."  
Kento chuckled, "At least he seemed hapy about something. I hate seeing him so down."  
Cye grinned, "Me too. I was getting ready to give Mrs. Date a call."  
Kento straightened up, "I thought we said..."  
"Kento, he's too sick for for that," Cye moaned, "I could only get him to eat two teaspoons of soup. Four days and he's only had two teaspoons of soup."  
"Man..." Kento looked incredulous, "I can't imagine going that long without eating. Four days..."  
"Kento, you couldn't go four minutes," Cye joked giving him a smile that was mostly in his eyes.   
"Well if that witch Sylvia is down there I better make myself scarce. Care to join me Cye?" Kento was standing. Cye frowned at him, "That witch Sylvia?"  
"Yeah she's mean," Kento said.  
"She's never been mean to me," Cye said, "But then, most of the female population is mean to you Kento. What it is about you that drives females...away?"  
"Har har, funny Cye," Kento made a face, "Seriously though. She's not very nice to me, and as far as I know she's only nice around Sage."  
"What do mean?" Cye was curious.  
"Well, if you listen to the girls talk..." Kento flushed as Cye shot him a questioning look, "Hey you can't help but hear them! Well, they don't like Sylvia. She doesn't have any other friends but Sage."  
"Kento, think about it. Those girls have been after Sage for years, but at one bat of Sylvia's eyelash she had him eating out of her hand. They're jealous," Cye shrugged.  
"Maybe so Cye," Kento shrugged as well, "But it seems strange that the girl has no friends, not even other guys."  
Cye frowned, "Hmmm," he looked troubled, "Kento, I wanna go downstairs and see what Rowen is doing."  
"What? I wanna go to the movies or something," Kento looked confused, "I asked if.."  
Cye was already getting up and moving towards his door, and Kento sighed and followed him.  
  
"So Sylvia, how'd you do on that history test?" Rowen asked. He had strategically placed himself in front of Sage and Sylvia. He watched them both carefully.   
Sylvia smiled, "Well I really could have used a curve to get an A." She winked at Rowen and Rowen almost gasped, she was trying to charm him.  
Sage laughed, "Rowen messed up the curve for everyone."  
Sylvia nodded, "I got a B+."  
"Did Prof Huynh ever stop with those literature lessons?" Sage asked suddenly, as if he was remembering something.  
Sylvia looked surprised, "You remember that Sage? You were asleep most of the class."  
"I remember anything that bothers you."  
Rowen wanted to gag., "What was he teaching?"  
"Oh just some horrible stuff," Sylvia shuddered.  
"The last thing I remember reading in his class was Shakespeare," Rowen frowned, "What was so horrible about that?"  
"Those horrible hags," Sylvia said, "It's so degrading to women. And then he made us read the Scarlet Letter, and just the things that happened to that woman because she was different."  
"Syl, they are classics though. And Nathaniel Hawthorne was preaching a message in The Scarlet Letter," Sage stroked her hair.  
"I just don't like it. Then we went into this whole lesson over the literature of those times, and the stories just kept getting worse and worse... and the portrayals of some of the women they deemed as witches..!"  
Rowen's eyes widened at her mention of witches, and her obvious distaste of the subject of ill-treatment to them. She began fiddling with her necklace again. He wondered if Sage would see it, Sage saw everything. Sage leaned his head on her shoulder and she began to part his thick hair with her fingers. Sage looked mildly dazed... Rowen realized Sage always had that look on his face with Sylvia. He had initially written it of as a lovesick glaze... but now, maybe it wasn't. Could she be controlling him? Her influence on him... even Cye sensed it! "Sage, I think its time you took some more aspirin buddy, and did anyone get your temp this afternoon?" Rowen was standing.  
Sage frowned, "I feel ok. I don't need anything right now." He spoke from Sylvia's shoulder. Sylvia grinned at him, then at Rowen, "I could get his temp."  
Rowen smiled at her... evenly, "I'll do it. You just sit here, you want something to drink while we're gone?"  
Sylvia shook her head, "I'm fine."  
Rowen pulled Sage up and dragged him into the kitchen. "Rowen, this is my first time to see her in four days... Rowen, couldn't this wait?!"  
"Sage, stop your whining," Rowen said going to the medicine cabinets. He returned with thermometer and bottle of aspirin. He handed the bottle to Sage and stuck the thermometer in his mouth, "You and Syl getting along?"  
"We were until you came," Sage mumbled through his thermometer.   
Rowen didn't comment. He gazed through the kitchen door catching glimpses of Sylvia. She just sat calmly fiddling with that necklace. More voices entered the living room. Kento and Cye.  
Sage groaned loudly, "Great, now I'll never get time alone with her. Say.. Do you think you and the guys could go somewhere for a bit?"  
Rowen narrowed his eyes, "Stop talking Sage your temperature won't be accurate."  
Sage glared but shut his mouth. Rowen sighed deeply and stared at him, a look of incredible burden printed on his face. "What?"  
Rowen let his head fall back a bit as he blew out another deep breath, "I don't know how to start this..."  
"Start what?"  
"Sage, I need you to promise me that you'll hear me all the way through when I tell you what I am about to tell you, and not to freak out or get pissed at me."  
"Rowen?" Sage looked suspicious. He removed the thermometer narrowing his eyes, "What is it? What's going on? I knew you were acting weird earlier..."  
Was it the right time? Should he tell him what he suspected right then, with Sylvia so near? Was she dangerous? Was she really hurting Sage with the obvious spell she had pulled over his eyes? Would Sage kill him? Rowen knew the answer to the last question that ran through his mind. He shook images of Sage trying to strangle him from his mind. Maybe he would talk with the others first...he shuddered thinking of what Ryo's reaction may be. Maybe Sage would kill him after all so it would not matter if he told him then.   
"Rowen?"  
"Uh...nothing Sage," Rowen was shaking his head. What had he been thinking. He had been in such a haste to get Sage away from the Witch he hadn't thought things through. Sage was in love with her, though now Rowen wasn't so sure if the love was actual or artificial... the more he saw and remembered the more he began to believe Sage's feelings were false, simply manifestations of Sylvia' spell. Why mark him? Rowen pondered...Witches marked their property, what did she plan on doing with Sage?   
An icy thought hit him...A continuage of her race...Witches were endangered, maybe Sage with his psychic attributes appeared to be the perfect mate in the eyes of the Witch. An amused smile came to his lips as he realized that maybe Kento wasn't so dumb after all...maybe he had hit the nail right on the head when he had all but volunteered to be a sperm donor to the Witch's foundation. Would this harm Sage? He would be burdened with a child..how soon did she want this child? Would she become pregnant and run? Would she remain keeping the Darklings in their world? Or would she run and take Sage with her? Is Sage in danger?... Thought overload...Rowen's tired brain felt ready to burst with so man questions that remained answerless, unless Rowen lost it and stormed into the living room ranting and raving demanding answers.   
"Rowen are you alright?" Sage was frowning at his friend, "You don't look well...You don't think you've caught something from me do you?"  
Rowen glanced up to see his friend's grey eyes studying him in concern, "No Sage, I'm ok. I'm just really tired, I've had some late nights lately."  
Sage nodded in understanding, "But...didn't you want to tell me something?"  
"Um.... I was just going to ask if...you were sure you didn't want me to take you home, get your mom..."  
Sage grinned at Rowen, looking at him with eyes still suspicious, "You're lying to me Rowen, I can feel it."  
Rowen felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, "I'm not lying Sage, why would I lie about anything? What do I possibly gave to lie about?"  
"You tell me," Sage said slowly, folding his arms over his chest, as if expecting Rowen to come clean right there.  
"You're being ridiculous Sage. And you know what, maybe you've been up too long, you should get back to bed," Rowen was nervous and trying to mask it with concern for his friend's well-being.  
Sage tapped his foot impatiently, "It's about Sylvia isn't it?"  
"Huh? No, of course not!"  
"You don't like her," Sage accused, "You...you're becoming just like Ryo! You don't want her here! Why Rowen? What's so wrong with her? What makes you hate her so?"  
"Sage quiet down, she's in the living room!"  
"You do hate her..." Sage said softly, shivering at Rowen not defending himself after Sage's accusations, he'd simply reprimanded him to be quiet. He felt as if he would cry, his friends didn't like his girlfriend...the perfect person in his life he felt he could be with forever, his friends despised. With Sylvia he actually felt normal, like a person. He felt a little dizzy as it all hit him at once, perhaps it was the fever. He felt a hand steadying him, and he smacked it away knowing it was Rowen, "Leave me alone. I thought you were on my side Rowen, I thought you supported me."  
"Sage, there are no sides here...Look, calm down ok. I want to save this talk for later, I never should have interrupted. I just didn't want...Nothing. Sage, just cool it for a while with Sylvia in there, and as soon as she leaves, we're going to have a talk. A group discussion."  
"Why?"   
"Sage, not right now."  
"I won't stop seeing her! I told you all already.."  
"It's not about that Sage!" Rowen snapped, loosing his cool quickly.  
"Then why?"  
"Sage.."  
"I won't show," Sage said flatly, "and if you drag me there, I won't listen."  
"S.."  
"Why Rowen?" Sage's voice was hard as stone.  
Rowen sighed and looked heavenward in prayer for protection and the right words, "Sylvia's a Witch Sage, the kind of Witch we and the Darklings are looking for, and I have proof."  



	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

  
  


Rowen stared as Sage's face drained off all color, "You...you ASSHOLE! You...You're worse than Ryo! Ryo at least had the decency to just say he didn't want me to see her. You, my best friend, instead make up lies about her!"

"Sage..shhh..."

"What, you don't want her to hear what you suspect Rowen?" Sage fumed, "You don't want her to know that you are trying to turn me and the others against her?!"

"Sage calm down, you're shaking..."

"You don't give a damn Rowen, so stop trying to act like you do!"

"Sage, stop, stop this," Rowen grabbed Sage by the arm, and halted his attempted exit. 

"Let me go!" Sage struggled against Rowen, "What are you going to do if I let you go?"

"Call my Mom, I want to go home," Sage was beginning to sound more and more like an insolent child.

"Sage you know you can't do that. We have a job to do and we need you, I just wished you trusted me! You always used too, what has changed now? Why the hell would I ever lie to you Sage? Especially about something as important to you as this!" 

"Rowen let me go! I refuse to believe what you're saying, and you saying you have proof tells me you're lying! You tell me why!"

"Sage, ever think that maybe I'm not lying, that's why! I'm not saying that she's hurting you, but am saying she is who we are looking for... and that she has marked you. Is that so bad, Sage?" Rowen was still holding Sage, by both arms, but he could feel him calming considerably.

"She would tell me," Sage was saying softly more to himself than Rowen, "She wouldn't just mark me...she had no cause to...I love her. She didn't need to mark me to keep me."

Rowen kept the second part of his theory to himself, for Sage's well being, "Maybe she wasn't as sure as you...Maybe she just wanted no harm to come to you. But you having the mark of a Witch sure would make a Darkling mighty interested in you. And it could be the reason they..."

"Ok...ok enough, I get it," Sage interrupted.

"Sage? Rowen?" Cye, Kento, and Sylvia came into the kitcheh, peering at the peer, "Is everything ok in here?"

"Great, we're great," Rowen said, releasing Sage's arms. Sage gave Rowen a chilly look and brought his arms to his sides.

"What was going on in here, we heard shouting?" Sylvia was frowning, moving closer to Sage, and Rowen couldn't help but move in between the two. Keeping them apart had become his vocation. Sylvia shot Rowen an odd look, and backed away. She looked at Sage, "I have to go now... I've got to get to the hospital."

"Will you come back? Tomorrow maybe?" Sage looked wistful.

"Yes, you should come back," Rowen was nodding his head... After all they were looking for Witches, and they had one right here and now. But they had to discuss how they were going to go about dealing with her. He ignored Sage's dark look, "We could walk to the bus stop and ride together."

Sylvia frowned, she was thinking it over, Rowen thought in excitement. "Come on, Sage would really like to see you. He's been so down lately, and maybe with you around he'll start taking care of himself better."

Sylvia smiled then, and sighed lightly, "I'll think it over.. I'll see how my mom is doing, and I'll...get back to you at school." She seemed happy enough, she didn't suspect anything.

Sage on the other hand looked ready to bite Rowen's head off. His expression of anger fell as in Rowen's excitement he had forgotten to block Sylvia from Sage. Sylvia had planted herself in front of Sage, kissing him quickly on the cheek and hugging him, "Maybe I'll see you tomorrow."

Sage's face was that of a happy puppy. His grey eyes were dancing, his scowl replaced by a wide smile, "Ok...I...I love you."

"I love you too," Sylvia said, "Come walk me out."

Sage took her extended arm and the couple exited the kitchen.

"Well aren't they too cute for words?" Kento remarked sarcastically, he folded his arms and looked over at Rowen's perplexed expression, "So what's up Genius? What's going on in that brain of yours? I smell trouble."

Rowen furrowed his brow, "Not now Kento... Wait until Ryo gets home." Then Rowen left the kitchen, following Sage and Sylvia at a distance. He watched Sage let her out and watched their last embrace. If she was out to hurt him, it sure didn't seem like it. Maybe she was only lonely wanting for a nice-looking companion. Rowen sighed especially when Sage whirled around, caught him spying, and stormed towards the stairs in a huff. 

  
  


After a virtually silent dinner at which Sage did not join them, Rowen called the others into Mia's study closing the door behind them. Rowen sat behind Mia's heavy wooden desk leaving the others to scrounge for stray chairs from various places in the room. Mia, Ryo, Cye, and Kento crowded around Rowen as he rubbed his weary chin and looked up into each of their eyes endearingly. "Ok, Rowen, what's this all about? I take it you've stumbled upon another key to solving our Darkling/Witch mystery," Cye was smiling at Rowen lightly, trying to lighten his sullen expression. Rowen looked as if he were being led to an execution, his own. 

Rowen simply nodded, his eyes went from Cye to Kento and Ryo, the ones most likely to over-react to his news. "I need you to promise to stay calm, do not jump to any conclusions, and most of all please don't do anything that could upset Sage in any way. He knows what I suspect and he's not happy with me, so please don't make him hate me for telling you all because of the way you react to it."

"Are you going to explain your odd behavior from earlier when Sylvia was here?" Cye asked tapping the dark wood desk.

Rowen nodded, bitting his lower lip. 

"What is it Rowen? You're scaring us," Mia spoke up from the arm chair she sat in beside the smaller wooden chair Ryo had taken. She leaned forward to try and catch Rowen's eyes. Rowen looked heavenward instead of at his friends then, "Guys... What would you say if I told you that Sylvia is a Witch."

Kento snorted, "Well I've been telling you guys that for weeks."

Rowen groaned and slapped his palms to the desk in frustration, the sound of flesh cracking against wood made them all look at Rowen, pale and sterm, "Can you be serious for one damn minute Kento?! I just said that Sylvia is a Witch! The kind of Witch, we and the Darklings, are looking for!"

There was silence for a few minutes before Mia spoke, "What makes you so sure Rowen?" her voice was hushed.

"She wears the symbol, the very symbol that is mixed with Sage's original mark on his brow on her necklace..."

"Well maybe she found it somewhere. It's not unusual for common people to stumble onto..."

"Think about it Cye... Did we have Darklings and Familiars knocking at our door before Sylvia made her presence here known? No. And the mark Sage already had from Shivoni, even Sage says Shivoni would have noticed a disturbance if a second mark was placed on him...if she had been around. When did Sylvia get here? After Shivoni had gone..."

"But that all can be coincidental..."

"Too coincidental," Rowen said beginning to grind his knuckles together, "Cye, you've always said that Sylvia has a sort of influence over him. You see it, I see it... Well tell me, have you ever known Sage to act that way around a girl? So many girls, smarter and prettier than Sylvia, throw themselves at him...what makes Sylvia so different?"

"Rowen, you don't pick who you fall in love with? Are you trying to attribute Sage's love for Sylvia as Witch Craft...that's so medieval, you're taking something you don't understand and making it into magic and trickery."

"No! Just think about it! Sylvia's a lonely Witch, she sees Sage as companionship..."

"Rowen, you're being ridiculous..."

"She hates stories with women accused of being witches being persecuted. She got herself kicked out of class arguing with the professor."

"So?"

Rowen groaned, he rested his head in his hands. He felt a soft hand on his shoulder, and he looked up slowly to meet Ryo's eyes, "I for one, do not like to jump to conclusions, but I'm with Rowen. Even if it's not true we need to be cautious. This girl wears the symbol of a Witch....one that we have never seen until she appeared, and suddenly we have a new foe that wants nothing more than to aquire the peopel associated with THAT mark. And now Sage bears it on his brow...who else could have been closer to him than Sylvia to put it on him? I've observed the way he acts around her too, I've seen his will bent, his mind controlled... He's not even the same person anymore, and I do not attribute THAT to love. He's irresponsible, he's forgetful, he's temperamental... And through all this month I have not once seen him lift a sword and go practice like he used to... I mean I guess he's expressed want to do it, but actually seeing him do it... Well, there's always Sylvia he's got to think about. Where does she need to go today? What does she need?"

Kento sat with narrowed brown eyes nodding along with Ryo's words, "She doesn't fit in...not at school, not anywhere. She has no friends but Sage. She's not very nice really, except to Sage. When they talk, what do they talk of? Sylvia has no past, no stories to tell. Sage never talks about any family other than her mother and the fact that she says they come from the States. No mention of friends, having a life, schools, sights they had seen. She's like a flat character created for a sole purpose and can be disposed of like a sheet of notebook paper later when scribbled on and not needed. She's fake. And that's not the Kento that is resentful because he was rejected by the fair Sylvia."

Mia sighed heavily, "Well you boys have certainly stacked the cards up against this girl, that I haven't even met yet. But your evidence does sound convincing...but now my questions go to why? Should we worry about her? Is she dangerous to Sage? And more importantly, is she leading the Darklings to us? That mark..."

Rowen was nodding, "I'm pondering those questions too. Maybe she really has feelings for Sage and simply used her mark as something territorial. He's hers. Maybe she did spell him to fall in love with her. But overall, she probably means no harm at all, and we should get her here and help protect her...or send her on into the next world to hide."

"So you're saying you want to help Sylvia?" Kento was frowning, seeming confused.

"Well....not Sylvia exactly, but her race...Besides we've got to get rid of the Darklings some way. I am not too convinced that they are just going to leave this world without causing any damage." 

"So you think if we confront Sylvia she'll help us?" Ryo was now frowning.

Rowen shrugged, "I don't know what to think..but I do know for sure that she is a Witch, and I know what those Darklings wish to do to her...and I know what they can do to this world regardless of whst happens with Sylvia and us. The only thing I feel we can do, is let her know we know. Then we can determine from her reaction whether she is friend or foe. We can inquire about Sage and how she feels about him, and in return we can offer her our protection."

"What if we don't like what we hear?" Kento fired back, "Cause I already don't like this. Who says the Darklings are unreasonable? Maybe we can strike a deal with them, send them a Witch and they leave, no harm done."

"Kento...they're evil. We can't trust them...anad besides, how would we talk to them and get them to understand?"

"Umm..." Kento was quiet and he looked to be in deep thought.

"Well, that shut him up for a while," Cye said he looked to Rowen, Ryo, and Mia, "So what are we to do? Rowen, it seems you've invited her over again tomorrow, I suppose we should all try to be here for the confrontation?"

Rowen nodded.

"Is Sage to be in on this?" 

"No way," Rowen said shuddering, "He'd bite my head off with his teeth."

"Ouch," Ryo cringed, "I'd almost forgotten we'd be working around Sage. He knows she's coming tomorrow?"

Rowen nodded, "He thinks she might...and he probably knows what will happen, but I think it best we try to keep him in bed and we go on about this business ourselves."

Cye let out a breath, he looked disturbed, "Do you think she's dangerous? I mean, the Darklings want to wipe out the Witches for a reason...They can do stuff against them. We couldn't lay a hit on these guys and she can. I don't want to imagine what she may be able to do to us if we anger her."

Mia's eyes flew open wide, "I'd almost forgotten..."

"What do we do, and how do we prepare if Sylvia really is a foe? Are we ready to confront her?" Cye pressed on rocking in the small stool he had borrowed from the corner.

Ryo looked uncomfortable, "We'll have to be ready. Besides I think we have something that will keep her at bay."

"What?"

"Sage," Ryo shrugged, "for whatever reason whether it be love, lust, or material possession she wants him. She can't oppose us and keep Sage..."

"She can if Sage is under her spell," Kento snorted, "He looked ready to kill Rowen this afternoon when I bet he told him what he found out about Miss Witch."

"But Sage..."

"Isn't himself," Cye filled in, "we can't trust him." 

"This is Sage we're talking about!" Ryo argued, "I know maybe he's loopy and lovesick but when it comes to duty and loyalty..."

"Ryo, she's got him wrapped around her pinky finger," Kento said, "His duty and loyalty never came to questioning her... Notice he wouldn't stop seeing her even when he knew that it was affecting his work. Now do you honestly think he could oppose her, hurt her?"

Ryo blinked, "I don't know Kento. I'd like to believe he's stronger than that. I know he's stronger than that!"

"Hope he's stronger than that," Mia said quietly, "Maybe I could do some more research, see if I can find anything that might loosen a spells hold on someone, make Sage less open to her suggestion."

"Mia, you against a real Witch?" Kento said incredulously, "You don't stand a chance!"

"Anything's better than nothing Kento," Mia snapped standing, "I'll look for something." She stretched with a groan, "After all this is over I'm going to sleep for a month... What's wrong Cye?"

All eyes went to Cye. Cye sat upright on his stool, his eyes wide open, hyper alert. The hair on his arms and the back of his neck stood on end, and he was unearthly still. "Cye?" He jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder, "What's wrong?"

"There's something outside," Cye shivered, "I feel it...Don't you feel it?"

All the warriors stilled to observe the atmosphere, all felt a chill, "Darklings?"

"I don't know," Cye stood, "We'd better go out."

  
  


Rowen went to the window first opening the curtains so he could peer outside, "It is pitch black outside."

"It's not late enough for it to be this dark yet," Ryo commented joining Rowen at the window. He touched the cool pane with his fingers, jerking back in surprise at the actual coldness of the glass. He and Rowen shared a meaningful look, "They're coming."

"For Sage? Or maybe they sensed that Sylvia was here?" Cye was frowning, "We should armor up..."

"What's that out there guys?" Kento pushed himself in between all of them. He pressed his face to the glass to get a clearer view and jerked away, crying out in shock at the wintery texture of the glass. He quickly shook of his shock and let out a loud breath, "It's not Darklings, cause I saw something out there."

"Good...not good?" Ryo gazed at Kento's expression, "What is it?"

"From here it looks like a Familiar," Kento spoke.

"Shit," Ryo was not looking forward to another thrashing. His ribs were still tender from his last tango with the otherworldly beasts. 

"Well what's it doing?" Cye asked trying to see what Kento did in the darkness, "It's just standing there it seems."

"Standing there...waiting..." Rowen said, he shifted uncomfortably, waiting for what? Was it challenging them? Was it waiting for them to come out and fight with it? He saw a glimmer of something. Gold, a glint of gold, a flash of green, coming from... "Sage is in bed right? You checked on him Cye, he was asleep, right?"

"Right," Cye said looking confused he studied Rowen's face then gazed out the window at what Rowen was staring at, "My God..." He uttered before bolting to the door with Rowen following closely behind. Ryo and Kento thoroughly confused decided to follow their leads, although not seeing what the other pair had. 

"Sage!" Rowen was yelling. The blond walked as if he were half asleep, in a trance. His violet eyes were half sheathed by heavy eyelids. He wore only his night clothes, a pair of gray drawstring sweat shorts and a white t-shirt. His barefeet trod across the cold damp grass with their usual grace. Even in sleep Sage remained poised and graceful. "SAGE!" Cye was yelling, he was running at the blonde, getting to him before Rowen. Rowen who had paused to look beyond Sage to the Familiar, the Familiar that had been calling to Sage somehow... Its eyes glittered red in its flat reptilian face, it was different from the last two Familiars Cye had seen. It was coming forward, moving towards them with an animosity that shook Cye. He saw the flash of light that was Rowen calling on his subarmor, he sensed Ryo and Kento armoring up as well. He wasn't thinking of that at the moment, he sprang closing the distance between him and Sage. He brought Sage down into the wet grass struggling to hold him still. Sage fought to get back up, to get to the Familiar who was calling to him. Cye looked up from the ground briefly to see his friend grappling with the Familiar, were there any Darklings around? They wouldn't be able to tell... Rowen's light contraption..someone had to bring it outside, "Rowen! Rowen you take Sage and get inside, get your machine!" Cye yelled. He felt Sage still beneath him but he did not release him until he saw Rowen backing out of the fight and nearing them. Cye stood pulling Sage's limp form up with him, passing him to Rowen before armoring up. Rowen lifted Sage and ran with him to the house. He lie Sage on the couch, Mia trailing him, "Watch him, I'm gonna get the light projector." Rowen jogged up the stairs and burst into the study. He approached his creation, going to its control pannel and beginning to the activation process. Once it was in stand by, Rowen lifted it and ran back down the stairs, through the door, and back out into the abyss of the front lawn. He set his device down and took it from stand by. A bright light was emitted from the machine, brightneing the sky, making it seem near dawn instead of midnight. The Familiar cringed from the light, but looking around the Ronnins saw no Darklings. They sighed, but wondered if the Darklings would show up as they had the last time. 

  
  


Kento threw his body to the ground to break Cye's fall as he was flung by the Familiar. Cye landed hard onto Kento's hard exoskeleton. He stood quickly, "Clear the way, I'm going to use my attack."

Kento rolled out of the way, signaling for Ryo and Rowen to get out of the line of fire, "SUPER WAVE SMASHER!!" Cye cried holding his trident high calling on the power of his armor. A large wash struck the Familiar in its middle. It cried out as it was splashed hard against the thick trunk of the tree behind it. Kento did not hesitate to rise and get ready to make his attack, "IRON ROCK CRUSHER!" An eruption or earth and stone rose from the ground crackling towards the tree the Familiar had landed against. It wailed yet again and the tree itself was uprooted from the ground and it was thrown 10 feet. It screamed with its rage, its red eyes burning in its face. It licked its lip with its forked tongue and charged at them.

"FLARE UP NOW!!" the other Ronnins dove for cover as Ryo threw out his most powerful attack. It struck the Familiar head on, but did no damage. The Familiar did little more than flinch, it continued its charge.

"ARROW SHOCK WAVES!!" Rowen threw his sure kill at the beast trying to help slow it... Nothing took Ryo's attack in the face like that and still stood unfazed. 

"It's getting stronger!" Cye yelled backing away. They were backing away from the rushing creature, "What now?"

"We can't call Inferno..we're missing an armor!" Kento breathed winded from their exertions. He braced himself to battle again as the Familiar neared with a newfound ferocity. It did not like being blown up one bit. Kento swung his iron staff at the beast, panicking when he felt he staff being batted away from him. His right arm snapped painfully behind him and his body was whirled and thrown across the lawn. He lie in an agonized heap. "KENTO!"

"Sure kills all together. It can't take all of our hits together!" Ryo was yelling looking back at Kento, feeling relief only when he saw Kento move. 

Rowen and Cye nodded, gathering themselves, "ARROW SHOCK WAVES!"

"SUPER WAVE SMASHER!"

"FLARE UP NOW!!!"

The three sure kills combined together made an impressive blow against the Familiar striking it and tossing it 50 feet into the air. Smoke poured from its body as it hit the ground. Rowen, Ryo, and Cye stood still staring at it...was it dead? Was it dead? It did not move. "Kento?" Cye turned to see his best friend, he began to move towards him, btu as he did Rowen cried out. It had moved, it was still alove and it was getting up! It was getting up! Cye whirled around to be face to face with the creature, its yellowing teeh dripping with saliva, its malodorous breath in his face... He couldn't move...he was going to be killed, he knew it. He braced himself for the pain, heard Ryo cry out for him. He heard Rowen yelling to him. He felt the claw clench around his throat and he shut his eyes, it would be quick.... but then...then came a voice. A clear carrying voice drenched with authority and power spoke firmly, "Stop it!" Cye felt the claws unclenching from his throat slowly, he felt the pressure ease, he felt himself relaxing slightly as air poured back into his system. 

"Let him go."

The creature hesitantly released Cye and stepped away from him much to Cye's delight and puzzlement.

"Go back to your master, now. Shoo, get out of here."

The thing cringed, it...it whimpered, like a dog. Cye blinked incredulously. It stepped back again, and again. Soon it had turned its back and was retreating back into the wilderness beyond Mia's home. 

"My God.." Cye breathed he turned, as had the other to face...Sage. Sage was standing in the center of the yard staring at the Familiar's retreating backside. His face was one of chiseled stone, his grey eyes were hard and distant. 

"Sage, what the hell was that?" Ryo asked he started towards him, as did Rowen and Cye. They stopped right in front of the pale blond. Up close they could see his trembles, his gooseflesh from exposure, he was unarmored, still in his night clothes. "What did you do? How did you do that?"

Sage looked at them, each of them as if he were just waking up and noticing them there. He smiled weakly, "Pets..." he said softly laughing slightly before pitching forward into Ryo. 


	16. Chapter 15

AN: Hello, its me again. Back from the dead, well not really. I've just been busy and uninspired, but now I'm back and glad to say this story will be coming to a close shortly. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed me, and I hope you enjoy this chapter and will review me again! Reviews = inspiration ( hint hint ;) )

  
  


Chapter 15 

  
  


"Ok, now hold very still," Ryo instructed Kento. Kento nodded, closing his eyes and clenching his fist as Ryo popped his shoulder back in joint. He bit his lip to keep himself from screaming at the pain. He opened his watery eyes and smiled weakly at Ryo in thanks. 

"Don't mention it," Ryo said gently. 

"Nothing in these books are going to tell us what the hell happened out there," Rowen was muttering as he closed yet another thick book of occultic information. He looked at Mia and Cye meaningfully, "I don't think any books have been written to explain what Sage did out there."

Mia groaned closing her book as well, "What do we do now then?"

"I don't know," Rowen shrugged, "We talk to Sylvia tomorrow, maybe she can tell us some answers.... You know, maybe she marked and took to Sage because of what she knows he can do against the Darklings...or their familiars."

Mia was nodding, "We'll see." She looked warily to Sage who was fast asleep on the couch, curled into a ball. Cye had thrown a blanket over him.

"I say we wake Sleeping Blondie up and ask him," Kento muttered, his voice low from pain, "I mean, he sure acted as if he knew what he was doing out there."

"He's right," Ryo said.

"But if Sage knew anything about this, he would have told us by now..."

"There were a lot of things Sage hadn't told us about himself until now...What makes you think that he's told us everything now?" Kento was standing shakily and making his way to the couch where Sage lie sleeping. 

"You touch him and I'll dislocate your other shoulder Kento," Cye snapped.

"Cye we need answers, before we all get ourselves killed!"

"We'll have them soon enough Kento, but not right now. Let him rest," Cye said firmly.

"This whole things sucks," Kento grumbled, "At least with Tulpa we knew what and who we were fighting and why..."

Rowen rolled his eyes in Kento's direction and turned back to the closed book in his lap lowering his head, "That familiar came here for Sage. He wanted him."

"Well if Sage could do THAT to one, then I can see why they might not want the enemy to have him," Cye said rubbing his face tiredly.

"First he can see them, he can hear them...he tells us he used to be able to understand them, and now he can control their familiars...Does it seem like this strange power of his is growing?"

All heads snapped to Ryo, who looked serious, "Maybe that bind on his powers is breaking with exposure to the Darklings...maybe that's what they want. They want to take Sage and maybe put him under their control and let his bind break... Not only would they have his power on their side..but Sylvia is attracted to him. They could use Sage to get to Sylvia."

"God..."

"What now?"

"Or maybe it's the other way around...Maybe Sylvia sensed Sage's power...she wants him on her side and maybe she's trying to break his bind..."

"I'm getting a headache," Kento wailed.

"It would make sense, "Cye was saying, "Witches are rare and her alone is not enough to stand up against the Darklings..."

"And maybe she does want to reproduce..."

"Kento!"

"What? Just trying to help," Kento grumbled, he turned away from the group and began to stumble into the kitchen.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room, broken by Sage's moaning, he uncurled himself and rolled onto his stomach. Cye reached over the couch to rub his back, 

"Do you think they'll come back tonight?"

"I hope not," Ryo sighed, "We'll lose. We almost lost tonight..."

"But we didn't," Rowen pointed out, "And now we have more time to figure this mess out before it happens again.." he yawned loudly, then covered his mouth, embarrassed.

"And some time to sleep," Mia added softly, "You guys haven't had a decent night's sleep..."

"Mia, we are in the middle of a crisis..."

"We'll turn on Rowen's 'light,' but tonight, we're going to sleep. You'll fight much better rested," Mia stood stretching, "I'm serious guys."

Cye stared at her face, realizing that she was, "Well... I think we should at least stay together if we're going to sleep. Here is fine."

Rowen rolled over with a snort he hand reaching unconsciously for his pillow. He continued to roll his body around until he found his pillow...he didn't...and wasn't he sleeping on a chair? Shouldn't he have fallen...he opened his eyes, "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

His screams were quick to wake everyone in the room and crash went everything to the

floor. "Oh my God..." Rowen pushed himself from the floor staring at the mess of fallen furniture 

around him. Everything in the room had been floating a few feet from the floor, everything including himself and his friends. 

"What the hell is going on in this house?" Kento was demanding fighting his was from beneath his blankets. Two large chairs had fallen on either side of him, trapping him inside the quilt pallet he had made on the floor. 

"Do you think it's the Darklings?" Mia's eyes were wide with fear.

"They only come out at night, "Cye was standing, shaking his head at the mess. 

Ryo sat flat on his butt beside the coffee table that was lying on its side, staring at Sage who was looking around the room in awe, "Are you alright Sage?"

Mia, Kento, Cye, and Rowen all turned their heads to stare at the boy wonder who had saved them from sudden death the night before. His grey eyes were wide in astonishment and fear, "Wow..." he mumbled he gazed around the room squinting his eyes looking rather dazed.

"Sage, what's going on here? Do you remember what you did last night?"Ryo was getting excited he crawled to Sage touching his shoulder.

Sage didn't answer Ryo letting his questions hang in the air like laundry, he stretched a hand forward slowly wiggling his fingers and spreading them out as if he were touching something unseen. 

"What? Sage, what's happening? What are you looking at" Mia had joined Ryo by Sage's side, she took the hand he was extending and brought it down to the floor.

Sage let out a heaving sigh that blew the hair out of his eye, "Silver...it's everywhere. I can see it again."

"What?"

"It's different though," he spoke in a pleasant manner acting as if everyone in the room knew what he was talking about, "There are traces of silver everywhere..." his eyes turned wild as they darted around the room making note of every piece of over turned furniture. He shut them and put his hands over his eyes, "there's so much... I've never seen this much..."

"I think Blondie's losing his marbles," Kento said gruffly, "Sage, did you make this furniture go airborne or not?" He stared at Sage intently, eyes widening as Sage frowned and shrugged, "It's possible. I've never done it before though." 

"Shit...we're living with Houdini."

"Sage, the familiar last night, do you remember what you did? What is your power exactly? What can this silver touch as you call it do?"

Sage shuddered his eyes focusing on something in the corner before coming back to his friends,"I...I don't know... exactly...I know I see things you can't. And talk to things... But I don't know what I am or what I'm supposed to do."

"What would this have to do with you and the Darklings Sage, you can see them, but how did you control that familiar... Can you control the Darklings?"

Sage slowly uncovered his eyes, and opened them, the grey iris's sad and distant, "I don't know...I don't think so..."

"You're not much help Blondie," Kento said lightly with a sigh, "Well at least we know you can do something, and that definitely comes to our advantage. We'll just have to question Sylvia to see if maybe she knows what you don't..."

"Shit...question Sylvia...school! What time is it?" Rowen was standing and running his hands through his blue tangles, his eyes searched frantically for a clock.

"8:30," Ryo said looking at his watch, "We're an hour late."

"I'm not going," Kento said, "My shoulder's killing me, I'm exhausted, and I didn't do any homework."

The rest of the Ronnins stared at him, "What?"

"Fine, fine," Mia was rubbing the sleep from her eyes, "Anyone else want to play hooky?"

Cye smirked at her then raised his hand, "I'd be dead on my feet."

"Someone has to talk to Sylvia...I'll go," Rowen was saying but was pulled down by Ryo, "Rowen, you've gotten the least amount of sleep out of all of us. You stay here. I'll go, and I'll get Sylvia to come back with me."

"Ryo?"

"What Sage?"

"Can I go? Sylvia will come if.."

"No!" Ryo rolled his eyes and stormed to the stairs to get to the bathroom and take a shower.

"What a grouch," Sage muttered rubbing his forehead and clenching his eyes shut again against the silver glare Ryo was emitting as he ran up the stairs. He felt a hand moving his and resting against his forehead, then he heard a whistle, "I do believe I could fry an egg on your forehead. Come on you, lets get your temperature," Cye pulled Sage from his blanket nest on the floor and dragged him towards the kitchen.

Mia watched the two disappear into the kitchen and turned to look at Kento and Rowen, "Who wants to help straighten up in here?"

"I need to take a shower..."

"If I don't eat right now, I'll faint!"

  
  


"Cough Syrup?" Sage asked weakly, as he wandered into the kitchen. Mia, Kento, and Cye were sitting around the table having lunch. Rowen was sleeping on the couch in the den. He had already looked in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and had found an empty bottle. Mia stood up going to the wooden cabinet above the refrigerator. She opened the door and stood on her tiptoes scanning for a bottle, she removed a bottle with only a few drops left and frowned, "Why wasn't this thrown into the trash?" She waved the empty bottle at the boys sitting at the table. Cye and Kento shrugged, looking sheepish. Sage groaned loudly and was beginning to trudge back out of the kitchen. Mia sighed, "Sage, let me take your car. I'll go to the drugstore and get you more, ok?"

Sage looked mortified at the thought of someone else driving his car but himself. He wanted to say no, he wanted to scream no! He wanted to demand if Mia had lost her wits, but the fits of violent coughing got in his way. He waved her to where his car keys hung on the rack above the kitchen light switches, then covered his mouth with both hands.

Mia smirked at him, "Boys and their toys," she thought in an amused manner as she walked past him to get her purse. Kento had gotten up to pound him on the back and lead him to the table where he and Cye sat eating sandwiches. The lights began to flicker on and off. Both Kento and Cye blinked as the microwave door began to open and close, sounding off as if someone were pressing the buttons. The garbage disposal began to roar on and off, and the cabinets were beginning to bang open and closed, "What the hell?!"

Both Mia and Rowen ran into the kitchen to see the chaos. The chaos calmed and settled down, the lights remaining on...as Sage settled down. Both Cye and Kento looked to him, "Sage...did you...?"

Sage was patting his chest, and taking deep breaths, he looked to the others who were staring at him, "Did I what?"

"Never mind," Kento and Cye were shaking their heads clear of what had just happened. They didn't want to get into it, it was just plain freaky... "Mia?"

"Yes?" Mia was gazing around the kitchen in a confused daze, clutching her purse and Sage's car keys in one hand.

"Hurry and get that cough syrup...I don't think the kitchen will last through another one of those..." Cye said looking warily around the kitchen, cabinet doors ajar, food peeking through the open pantry door...some broken dishes...

Kento looked down sadly at his dismantled sandwich...bread, lettuce, tomato, cheese and turkey, all separated and spread about his plate, "and I don't think my stomach will last through another one of those either..." 

Ryo arrived in the school yard just as classes were breaking for lunch. He had driven Mia's car to school, but realizing he had no homework to show for any of his classes and not wanting to risk humiliation he decided to skip for the day. He instead waited outside the school, driven around town a few times, and came back just in time for the lunch bell. He'd hopefully find Sylvia then. Lunch was practically the only time he saw her anyway. None of his classes ever led to his running into her. He greeted and smiled to the various people that waved or smiled at him, some questioning where he had been during classes. He wandered through the school yard looking past the teenagers sitting in groups together eating lunch, Sylvia was a loner. He sighed as he realized just how much ground he would have to cover in such a short time. 

"Ryo! Ryo!"

Ryo frowned turning to face the source of the voice behind him...Damn... Three girls, Sally, Jessi, and Rafael, Ryo dubbed them looking at the girls who were restless in their pursuit of Ryo's blond friend. Each girl sported a different look, reminded Ryo of the talk show hostess' Sally Jessi Rafael's three make-overs. 

"Where is Sage?"

"Is he ok?"

"Will he be coming back soon?"

"I'm busy..." Ryo tried to turn away from them and move on but he felt their manicured hands on his arms and tugging the sleeves of his sweatshirt.

"Ryo.... he hasn't been to school is so long, it's not like him."

"I don't have time for this girls...maybe later," Ryo was losing his cool as he was carefully trying to separate his clothing from their little fingers.

"But Ryo... is he ok?"

"Has he gone out of town?"

"Has something happened.?" Their little fingers continued to clutch at him and finally he broke. Lack of sleep, stress, and now the added frustration of being tormented by their annoyingly high pitched voices and their prying fingernails made him snap, "YES something's happened! He's DEAD! Ok? Died in the shower, slipped on a bar of soap he dropped. Knocked himself out in the tub and couldn't be revived! That alright with you? Now let GO!" Ryo finally freed himself and broke into a run leaving the three stunned girls standing staring after him.

"That's a new one, Ryo."

Ryo jumped nearly 6 feet into the air at the sound of her voice. He had ducked inside the building, behind a pillar near the lockers and there she was, just standing there. It was almost as if she had been, he gulped, waiting for him... Did she know? He shook himself, "Sylvia, hi."

She smiled at him... She looked different to Ryo today, more exotic in a pale way, "Hi. So where are all your friends today Ryo? I have seen no one but you and you seem to have just materialized a few minutes ago."

Ryo blinked, her tone of voice was strange, curiosity with a touch of...malevolence? Was that what he was hearing? "Uh... everyone's just been so tired. So we played hooky."

"Everyone but you."

"Well...yeah..."

"Ryo, you're not very good at this," Sylvia said bluntly, "Not very good at all...now what in the world are you Ronnin Warriors doing to upset my spell?" She had leaned in and whispered the last part of her sentence in his ear...her breathe tickled his face. She laughed when she saw the fear and surprise in his eyes, "You're all too obvious, did you really think I wouldn't figure it out?"

"I don't know what you're talking about..."

"Drop the act Warrior of Virtue... It's over...and if you care at all about your world, you'll stop whatever you're doing to my spell," she winked then and tossed her head, "Ok, that's all. See you later." She patted his shoulder and walked off. To anyone looking on to the conversation they would have seen a friendly exchange... to Ryo.... he now knew that they had a problem, a bad one. And a yet a new mystery to figure out, what spell could she possibly be talking about?

  
  


Silvia stood staring into the mirror of the girl's lavatory. She was in the restroom alone and was savoring the silence and solitude. Did she go about that right? She studied the girl in the mirror, the one with the eyes of a Witch. She looked uncertain. She recalled the night before

  
  


Sylvia lit the final candle and blew out the match. She sat in a ring of white candles with her arms folded over her chest eyes closed deep in meditation. They were here... The Darklings were here and they were close, so close she could smell them...feel their dark thoughts. Her mother was no where close to being rehabilitated. She had barely regained consciousness and doctors were plaguing her the idea of letting her go...of unhooking her from the breath apparatus keeping her chest rising and falling. She couldn't lose her. What would she do on her own? She knew how to pierce the veil and enter into the next world, but how to survive... There was still so much she needed to know. All of the ways of the Witch would die with Veronica Weald. 

Her procedure had been perfect, her subject had been perfect...what had gone wrong was obviously not her fault, she decided. After all she wasn't dealing with normal people...and the blue haired one was just a little too smart for his own good. She remembered how he had acted that evening...suspicious as hell. But why would he be suspicious, unless... And she had sensed something strange the previous nights, like someone was messing with her link. But who could be doing that? Who had the knowledge? They knew, she was certain of it all at once. They knew she was responsible for Sage's illness and they were messing with her spell. She wondered if they knew about the Darklings too. But even if they did, what could they do? Only a Witch could deal with a Darkling... One Witch against one Darkling was an even match, but one Witch against the hundreds of Darklings that still survived and were after her. She shivered. Meditating always managed to clear her mind and improve her thought process, but it also left her completely open...She could feel the coldness if their presence trying to lock into her and her mother. The mother that would be getting left behind. She knew that now. She didn't like it, but she knew it had to happen... Unless...unless she could stop those tampering Ronnins... They really shouldn't mess with someone else's magic. She'd have to teach them that. She would attend their school the next day, and there she would confront them. After that thought she opened her eyes, her shoulders feeling so much lighter, her head so much clearer. She exhaled, and all the candles went out at once. She stood and exited her circle knocking over her candle circle letting the wax spill over the tile floor. She'd clean it up later, right then she was going to have to figure out how to deal with some Ronnin Warriors.

  
  


Sylvia barely flinched when she heard the door open, and she didn't turn her head to the trio of girls who surrounded her at the sink, "Hello Sylvia."

Sylvia smiled at her reflection, noting in satisfaction that her anxious expression was gone. She didn't speak a word to the girls, simply turned on the sink and began to wash her hands.

"What's wrong with Sage?" 

"Where is he?"

"Has something bad happened?"

Sylvia turned off the water and turned her body to where she was leaning on the sink with her behind, she smiled invitingly at them, "Has something happened to him? Why yes Kiki, something has... Me." Laughing at their stunned expressions she pushed herself off the sink and exited the bathroom. 

  
  


Ryo threw the front door open, "GUYS! EVERYBODY GET YOUR ASSES DOWN HERE NOW!"

"Such colorful language Ryo," Cye was commenting emerging from the kitchen wiping his hands on a dish rag, "What's happened?"

"Where's the fire?" Kento came bounding down the stairs taking them by threes. Rowen and Mia followed him down the stairs but taking the steep blocks one at a time. 

"Where's Sage?" Ryo stared at the five faces around him immediately noticing Sage's absence.

Rowen groaned, "I left him when I heard you yell...he's upstairs in our room taking a nap. I'll bring him down..." Rowen headed back for the stairs running up them and disappearing into the hallway.

"What's this all about Ryo?" Kento asked as Ryo closed the front door and pushed his way into the den and flopped down on the couch. He jumped up after a second and began to pace, he ran his hands through his hair in frustration, "The Witch is onto us."

"Huh?" Kento and Cye looked puzzled, but Mia gasped, "Sylvia? She knows?"

Ryo nodded, "She knows we're Ronnin Warriors...."

"But how..."

"And she says she knows we're tampering with her spell," Ryo finished.

"Spell? What spell?" Mia frowned, "She's cast a spell? Did she..?"

Ryo shook his head, "But she's pretty pissed about it, she really thinks we're doing something to affect her magic or something... I wonder if it has anything to do with the mark. Do you think maybe she felt us trying to remove Sage's mark?"

Mia nodded, "She may be referring to that."

"Damn... so she really is a Witch," Cye said in a low voice, "Up until now we really weren't sure. Now we know..."

"Know what?" Rowen and Sage now stood at the bottom of the stairs and were walking into the room. Rowen kept a hand on Sage's arm and helped him to sit. Sage immediately lie down on the couch, curling up in a ball but looking to Ryo with an alert yet pained expression on his face.

"Sylvia's a Witch."

"How..?"

"She told me," Ryo said flatly, "She point blank told me, she knows all about us. She knows about the armors, she knows we've messed with your mark..."

"That's not what she said...Tell them exactly what she said," Mia butted in.

"She claims we're messing with her spell."

"What spell?" Rowen questioned, "We haven't messed with any spell."

"We figure it's the mark..."

"That's not a spell...Mark's are territorial..."

"Well...well..." suddenly Ryo looked enlightened, then reluctant, he bit his lip, "...maybe it's a..love spell..."

"Love spell? Why would she...OH!" Kento was quiet as he stared at Sage for his reaction, as did everyone else. Sage simply gazed back with a stoic expression on his face, "Think she cast a spell on me?"

Ryo nodded, "She needed to get close to you...Sage, even you have to admit your relationship with her is weird." He spoke warily, ready for Sage's volatile reaction, but strangely it never came. Sage simply nodded.

"Are you ok Sage? You're being awfully calm about this," Mia looked concerned. 

"Fine... I mean, it seems only logical that you guys would come to a conclusion like that one. I'm tired of getting mad," He made himself more comfortable and shut his eyes.

They stared a little longer, "So...what do we do about this..?"

Mia glanced at Sage, "Well I suppose we...um...wait?" she tittered nervously, "There is nothing we can really do here. We can't break a love spell...um...if there is one. And we don't know what the Darklings or Sylvia are planning." 

"And we also don't know what we're having for dinner," Kento mumbled rubbing his belly, "And... we still haven't played with Blondie's little talents and found out what we can use them for."

Eyes wandered to Kento, "Kento...you know you're an idiot right? But sometimes you make the best suggestions..." Rowen appraised his friend patting his broad shoulder and turning to Sage on the couch, "Sage, why don't we figure out just what it is you can do? Lets take our focus off the Darklings and their destruction and Witch Hunt, and put it on us...and you. Lets stop hunting and start preparing ourselves for what could happen instead. Let them come, and we'll be ready."

"You're making us sound so damn cocky," Kento snorted, "But it is a better plan than whatever the hell we've been doing..."

Ryo was nodding, Cye looked doubtful, "Sage, how do you feel about all of this, you haven't said a word." He gazed over to the blond Ronnin Warrior to see that he had fallen asleep, again, "Well that's just wonderful... I say we call off all this hocus pocus, let the Darklings take the Witch and do whatever, and take Sage to see his mother so she can get him better."

"Cye..." Ryo was groaning not this again! 

"Don't Cye me, and I know Rowen is with me on this one. He was against this whole thing from the start but no one would take his side..."

Before the argument could continue the doorbell rang causing them all to jump.

"Who could that be?" Mia wondered looking puzzled. She left the heated discussion that was beginning again and ventured to the front door. 

"Cye... I am trying not to get angry..."

"Try harder," Cye snapped rolling his eyes he glanced at Rowen for help, but Rowen's eyes were not on him...but leading out of the room... Looking at who was at the door.... Cye blinked and turned feeling his body freeze in fear and apprehension.

"And further more if we continue on..."

"Ryo.."

"Don't interrupt me! I didn't interrupt you now did I? Now, further..."

"Ryo!"

"Oh for mercy sakes what?"

"She's here."

"She...?"

"Sylvia."

"Shit."

The four boys trampled through the room to get to the door to protect Mia. Who knew what Sylvia's plans were. They approached Mia slowly. Mia stood with her back straight peering with interest at the girl outdoors, enjoying the warmth and protection from her four male friends now standing behind her. She wondered if Ryo was the one directly behind her, she would be tempted to lean back and rest on him then. She wiped the smug thought from her mind as her eyes once again linked with Sylvia's cool ones, "Isn't anyone going to invite me in?"

"No," Kento said coldly from Mia's side, he gazed at her evenly.

"That's a pity, I hate to come in uninvited. Makes me seem...rude..." With one motion of her hand, and a shriek from Mia and gasps of surprise from the Warriors they were parted and moved aside....like toys by imaginary hands... Sylvia entered the house and closed the door behind her, "I don't have much time...only until nightfall really."

"And we care because..."

"I can save your world. By now I'm sure you know just what threatens it."

"Yeah," Ryo said flatly, "But right now, I see that they are only threatening you."

"That's wear you're blind Leader... The Darklings were made to destroy and self destroy... They're not going to leave your world without leaving their mark...their scent of chaos."

"You're bluffing.."

"You want to take that chance?" Sylvia said snidely, she walked into the den and calmly knocked Rowen aside as he tried to block her way and keep her from her prize. 

"Damn it leave him alone!" Kento cursed, he felt his hands reaching for his yaroi. He would get rid of the little bitch right there and then! 

"I wouldn't try to move against me Hardrock, I'll kill you." She'd said it..she'd made herself an enemy, a danger to them then. The air was heavy with tension, "Why make this so hard on yourselves..I'm not the bad guy...I am simply trying to protect my life and in essence your world. Why do you try to stop me?"

"Because in protecting yourself you endangered your world...and now our friend..."

"You fools," she snorted tossing her silvery hair, "You really thought the Darklings would never come? They are everywhere. They were always here, though you couldn't see...They are always listening watching, waiting for their chance to bring everything to chaos. They show themselves now because your world is falling into its own self made chaos. They want a hand in it, and the only way to make them leave...is if they have something to follow..namely me."

"So why don't you leave..."

"I have ties here, and the only way to severe them is...for a sacrifice. You fancy yourselves Warriors, and you sacrifice yourselves for your cause...well the cause has arisen again, and I need your sacrifice," she looked to Sage, "I need him."

"Lady...you've lost your mind. You can't have him, so back off," Kento snapped.

"It wasn't a question," Sylvia said simply. Her hand went to touch Sage, but his eyes flew open before she could shake him awake. "Sage I..."

"GET AWAY FROM ME!!"

Sylvia jumped back surprised by his reaction. Sage had sat up immediately and backed into the corner of the couch away from her, his chest heaved as he shook his head in fear, "What are you?" 

Sylvia stared at Sage the same fear in his eyes could be read in hers as well, she took a step back, "No... what are you?"


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

  
  


The momentary pause in action from Sage and Sylvia gave Kento time to armor up, "Armor of Hardrock!" 

"Kento no!"

Sylvia whirled from her stunned position, eyes narrowing and flashing with energy, "I warned you!" 

"NO!!"

A bolt of black energy hurled itself right at Kento so quickly that he had no time to move away, he yelled instead, his friends joining in on his shriek and there was a flash of bright light it spread across the living room fading after a moment engulfing the dark energy. Mia, and the other Ronnins stood in a daze. Kento sat sprawled, unharmed, on the floor breathing hard he had felt the heat from the black lightning flying at him. He had felt it singe his skin, it had come so close...and then the light... The light protected him. 

Sylvia's facial expression could not be determined, she tried again to strike Kento with the black lightning, the light reappearing at each attempt devouring her attacks. She began to breathe hard and back away from the Warriors turning back to Sage who still hoovered near the end of the couch cringing away from her. "Is it you, Sage? Are you what's stopping me? What are you?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You won't hurt them..." Sage uttered, "I won't let you.."

"What...are...you?" Sylvia hissed again, her anger radiating from her in waves. The furniture was shaking, there were crashes as vases and trinkets fell to the floor and shattered. She stepped closer, "You little parasite answer me!"

Sage blinked and stared at her....Sylvia, his girlfriend, the one he...he loved. He watched the dark energy swirling around her body weaving in out of her finger tips, the black lightning crackled in her hair and the room was growing warm...he felt dizzy, "What have you done?!"

"Get away..." was the only thing he could think to say.

Her demeanor changed suddenly, suddenly she was no longer frightening, she no longer crackled with dark electricity, she was Sylvia...his Sylvia... the light poured from her, "Get away? But Sage...Why? Don't you love me anymore?"

Sage's trembling lips parted as he stared at her, at his Sylvia. "SAGE SHE'S MESSING WITH YOU!"

"Damn it, why can't I move?!!"

"Sage...come to me," Sylvia held out her arms to him...she looked so warm and beautiful, like an angel. She'll save me... Sage let himself move closer to her.

"SAGE NO! SAGE LISTEN TO ME!!"

"I'm the only person in this room that matters to you Sage...and you're the only person that matters to me..." Sylvia's light of innocence faded the instant Sage moved into arms reach. Her face twisted into an ugly malicious expression as she surged forward to grab Sage's shirt collar bringing him forward so she could peer at her mark on his forehead. An eery light began to glow faintly as Sylvia called upon her signature...she gazed and released Sage at once when she saw what was reflected, she looked ill. "Oh Isis...Oh Isis....What have I done? I did it all wrong. Why am I so stupid? Why am I so stupid?!" She rose from the couch in a fury her rage sweeping pictures from the walls, breaking glass from the windows, "AAAAAAHHH!" She screamed the china cabinet slammed face down to the floor. Mia cringed, tears coming to her eyes at all the heirlooms that had probably been lost. 

"I'll kill you for this....you freak! I'll kill you!!" she whirled her fury on Sage, the heat of her anger burning his face. Sage crawled away from her shaking his head, "You're a monster, a demon, one of those creatures from outside...I see you now Sylvia, I see you!"

"SHUT UP!" She roared throwing her arms out like a large bird of prey about to take flight. 

Mia screamed as she saw the blackness hurtling at Sage. It was a raven comet spiraling at the blond it struck with the force of a truck. Mia was thrown back as were the other warriors. They toppled onto each other in a heap of arms and legs...and an armor. Kento was still decked out in his Hardrock armor. He was shoved off by Ryo who stood and called on his armor, "Armor of Wildfire!"

"Armor of Strata!"

"Armor of Torrent!"

"OH SHIT!"

The light had been blinding it struck them all head on and had them on their knees again. Lightning...silver lightning. They slowly raised their heads to see Sylvia lying in heap on the floor any dark energy around her had faded. They looked to where Sage was, he stood breathing hard, shaking... His eyes roamed the room wildly and fell on his friends, "Sage..." Rowen began.

"No..." it was quiet at first, but as Rowen started towards him, "NO! Keep away from me!!!"

"Sage, buddy calm down..."

"Too much...too much!" Sage was holding his head, pulling at his hair, his eyes ran from her corner of the room over and over again, "NOOO!!" He ran...he darted toward the backdoor. 

"Shit," Rowen, Cye, Ryo, and Kento were after him like 4 bullets shot from a gun. 

"And in the meanwhile what am I supposed to do with you," Mia asked, watching her heroes disappear, and looking down at the smoking Witch on the floor.

  
  


"He's fast as a horse," Kento huffed...they had finally lost sight of the blond through all the trees and had to stop to catch their breaths, "How in the hell did he outrun us?"

Rowen shrugged, "He looked scared to death of us, adrenaline I guess."

"In our armors?" Cye question looking dubious, "You know what I think happened?"

"What?" They all stared at Cye. What he thought happened? Something had happened, but no one had thought about. They didn't have time... What had happened? Sage had gone berserk...Sage may have killed Sylvia... Sage saved them... 

"I think the last of his bind came undone," Cye said, "Did you see his eyes in the end....when Sylvia was right over him, and she saw what we saw on Sage's brow?"

"I was too busy watching psycho bitch barbie throw a hissy fit," Kento snorted. 

Ryo rolled his eyes at Kento's antics but had to concur with his friend about where his observation of the situation had been focused on. Sylvia was pretty impressive when angry, "That bitch may be evil but she sure did make that school girl sweater look good while doing it," Kento said, eyes glazing over for a bit before he snapped back to attention. Cye and Rowen were scowling at him, "What? Ryo was thinking the same thing...Oh come on Ry, I saw the look in your eyes..."

"Kento! This is about Sage, not hooters!" Cye snapped.

"Hooters..." Rowen chuckled, before clearing his throat, "We'll have to split up and search the area for him. I know he's fast...but he has to have stopped running by now. He's too sick to keep up at that pace."

"He was supposed to be too sick to set that pace in the first place," Kento grumbled, "We need to split up. We'll find him faster that way."

"We can't split up, what if Sylvia comes after us? None of us can take her alone...Shit!"

"What?"

"Mia, we left Mia alone with Sylvia!" Ryo exclaimed hitting himself across the forehead.

"What were we thinking about?!" Cye threw his arms in the air in frustration, "And Gods, what are we going to do with her! We can't just tie her up!"

"Ok, ok...We...Kento, you and me will go home," said Ryo in a forced calm way, "And Cye and Rowen will look for Sage...try his favorite spots."

Cye and Rowen nodded solemnly, "What will you do if Sylvia's awake, or has hurt..Mia?"

Ryo shook his head, "You'll know if we're in trouble... But hopefully we won't be. We're just going to get Mia out of the house and get as far away from there as possible. If you find Sage...when you find Sage... Say does Mia still own that little apartment in town?"

"I don't know Ryo, I think so," Cye scratched his head, "But we wouldn't be able to get in without the key...." he caught the dark look Ryo sent him, "You want us to break in?"

"We have no other choice...Does everyone know where the apartment is?

Grim nods went around the circle.

"Ok, be careful," Ryo said, with that Rowen and Cye took off further into the woods seeking out Sage's favorite spots of refuge.

  
  


"You weeeeere wroooong to ignooooore uuuus foooor soooo loooong.... Wrooooong, wrooooong.....Weee knoooow whaat yooou arrrre. Youuur peeeople thiiink theeeey aaare soo muuuuch bettter that uuuuus..."

"One little, two little ,three little Indians..."

"My husband... My husband and my two children..."

"Magic worker...Magic worker I am in need."

"Arrrogance shaaaall beeee your doooown faaaaall..."

"Four little, five little, six little Indians..."

"You must tell them I love them..."

"I can pay you...I have gold..."

"Theeeey wiiiill cooome for yoooou...They wiiiill! For yooou dooo not beeelong..."

Go away....go away...please go away.... He sat in with his knees pulled into his chest rocking back forth. This way his spot, his spot of solitude, but no longer. THEY were here, THEY were back. I wish you'd all go away...I wish you away. Help, help...HELP!!!

"SAGE!"

More noise...more voices....The lights, the lights were blinding. Everything was outlined, everything had a color around it, an aura. But the beings around him, they were silver...silver and solid as anything living. Their words, their words were drenched in silver...he could see the air they breathed, could hear their silvery tones. He put his hands against his eyes...They were silver...He quickly pulled them away and put them under his body...He was silver...he was one of them! He began to laugh hysterically, all that time he spent trying to get away from THEM, and he was one of THEM! He leaned his head back as he laughed harder and harder until the tears came, voices in his mind...whispering, hissing, some angry, some frightened. Touching him, their silver hands were reaching to him, to take him! He kicked out at them, giggling as his feet struck solid matter. He could hurt them. For some reason he found this even more insanely funny than his epiphany! "SAGE! Sage...calm down....Sage... are you with me?"

"Gods, Rowen, he's freezing..."

"Sage...Sage stop laughing, you're scaring me...Sage? Sage open your eyes! It's me Rowen, and Cye's here."

"Sage! Sage, we're going to have to leave. I'm gonna help you up? Can you walk?"

"Sage? Sage...Cye, he's gone insane."

Voices, and touching...voices and touching, he kicked at the offending hands that were trying to move him, trying to take him. "Sage stop it, stop fighting us."

"Sage, please...open eyes, it's us."

Us....Uuuuuuusss...... "Theeeey caaaan nooot saaaave yoooooou frooooom THEEEEM..."

"GO AWAY! GO AWAY! GO AWAY! GO AWAY! GO AWAY!!!" Sage screamed and screamed until his throat was raw, he collapsed forward coughing uncontrollably onto a hard-shelled body. Touching...touching....soothing... Soft hands were rubbing his back, "Calm down Sage....just try to breathe. Come on bud, you can do this."

He struggled to breathe, his lungs...they were on fire... "I don't think he can breathe Cye."

"We have to get him out of here..."

The hands were pulling him again, taking him, but he was helpless to stop them. Can't stop coughing, can't breathe...can't... "Yoooou caaaaanooot escaaaaape... Yooou wiiill neeever escape.."

He felt cool air blowing past his face...his legs....he was being carried somewhere. "You must help me! My children!"

"Would you prefer gems over gold?"

"Ten little Indian boys!"

"Ruuun....youuu caaaan ruuun...buuut yoooou can neeever hiiiide. Theeey wiiil cooome fooor yoooou."

  
  


"Mia!" Ryo sighed in relief as he and Kento approached the women. They had gone all the way back to the Koji Manor to find Sylvia still unconscious, but no Mia. They'd fled outdoors only to see that her jeep was gone. She had obviously had the sense to leave, but where had she gone? They walked about a mile down the street when they noticed her jeep at the nearest gas station from the house. Shaking their heads they went to the jeep and perched on it until Mia returned. Mia stared at them both, "You know you are out in broad daylight wearing your armors right..in public?"

"We had to find you," Ryo said, "We left you alone with Sylvia."

"I know, figured you weren't thinking about that," Mia said simply, "Thought I would leave before she woke up. Where are the others? Did you get Sage?"

Ryo and Kento looked away, "We couldn't catch up with him. Rowen and Cye are looking for him."

"Good Lord," Mia sighed, "Well, where do we meet up with them if they find him?"

"At your grandfather's old office complex," Ryo said simply.

"Why there? I..I haven't been inside that place since he..."

"I know..." Ryo said softly, "But it's far enough away from the house... It's private, and maybe your grandfather could have stored something in there that could maybe help us."

"I doubt that," Mia sighed, then shrugged, "Well get in, we'll go there and wait for a little while. Hopefully they'll already be there."

Kento and Ryo opened the passenger doors to the jeep and climbed in, "Hopefully."

  
  


"We're almost out of the woods," Cye said glancing back at Rowen, who was cradling Sage as he ran. Sage thrashed and struggled weakly in Rowen's arms, he mumbled and moaned, talking to creatures and people who didn't exist...well at least not to Rowen and Cye. 

"Good..."

"Rowen, we might have to take him straight to a hospital."

"And tell them what Cye? He's more than just delirious...They'll lock him away..."

"We can't deal with his illness Rowen," Cye said, "He needs medicine."

"And what if he starts levitating more couches while he's in the hospital, Cye?"

Cye was quiet, "We can still take him to his mother..."

"That we can," Rowen said, he bit his lip, "But the others will worry if we don't go to the library. They'll think something happened..."

"Something did happen! He's burning up, he's having trouble breathing..." Cye slacked off on his rapid pace to fall in step with Rowen, "Look at him, he's not even with us anymore.."

Rowen gazed down at his best friend, he was so pale...He shook violently and he whimpered as he tried to free himself from Rowen and failed. He had not once opened his eyes to see who held him, not once. "Sage...please open your eyes..."

Cye shook his head and stroked Sage's hair back from his face, "We have to take him to his mother. He needs medical help." 

Rowen nodded, "Ok, we'll change our course." 

Cye cried out suddenly and Rowen jumped, "What?"

"Sage...can you hear me?"

Rowen gazed down to see that Sage had finally opened his eyes...The color, his eyes were almost silver, they stared at both Rowen and Cye, their expression unreadable. They scanned the area, then came back to Rowen and Cye, "Sage, are you ok?"

They anxiously awaited an answer, could he hear them? "N..n..no..." Sage said softly, "My head hurts..."

"Thank God, thank God," Cye said in relief, "Sage, what happened back in the woods?"

"Silver..." Sage said softly, "Too much of it... My head hurts..."

Cye wanted to ask another question but thought better of it, "Sage, we're gonna take you to your Mom, is that ok?"

Sage sniffled, "Momma?"

"Yeah," Cye said, "We're gonna take you to her. She'll help you to feel better."

"Good," Sage said, "I feel really bad...and I wanna go home... And...and...I wish they would go away...and stop..and leave me alone..." He leaned his head into Rowen's chest as he began to cry. Rowen sighed and tried his best to rub his friend's back, "I wish we had a car."

"It's getting dark Rowen," Cye said fearfully, he was watching the sky, the setting of the sun just caught his attention, "The Darklings..."

"Maybe they'll find Sylvia first."

"Or maybe they'll find us..."

"I don't think you should be looking for answers of who will find you...Instead you should be looking for the answers of just who exactly you should be looking for."

Rowen and Cye halted in their tracks whipping their heads to and fro, who had spoken? The voice was low and female...It spoke with power and authority. "Who's there?"

"Ah, so now you look..." the voice said sounding amused, "And here is your answer." 

From the shadows of the trees the slim figure of a woman began to materialize. She was not tall, and her hair was a cascade of raven down her back. She had to be at least 40 years old, judging from the fines lines in face and the streaks of gray at her temples. She looked elegant and eccentric at the same time in her long dress that touched the floor of the forest. It was decorated with drawings of birds and splashed with dark blues and greens. She stopped a few feet from them, her large black eyes greeting theirs briefly before gazing down at the bundle in Rowen's arms. She put out a hand to touch him, and Rowen, though somewhat wary of the woman, did not flinch. She lie her palm on Sage's forehead, and his silvery eyes opened once again and gawked at the woman before him. He opened his mouth to say something but began to cough instead. The woman frowned and uttered soothing words to him, running her hand along his heaving chest. The fit stopped soon afterward and she took away her hand. She looked back to Cye and Rowen who stared at her...who was this strange woman? And why are we just standing here with her? What was holding them there?

"Who are you?" Rowen finally had the nerve to breathe.

"I am Shivoni, and I have come to help."


	18. Chapter 17

**Hi, I bet no one remembers me. My pen name used to be Danae Amadeus, but I got bored with that, and decided to just go back to using my usual pen name Eboni. It has been a very long time since I've updated this story. My excuses are legitimate (well to me anyways lol). I blame my lack of updates on extreme slothfulness, and forgetfulness (I forgot my password to my ff.net account, and forgot the password to the e-mail address I was having the forgotten password mailed to if I ever forgot it. I know, I know, not too bright am I, lol. But anyway, I was having agreat day today and thought I'd try my luck at discovering my password and I did. I hope you enjoy this chapter of A Touch Of Silver, it's short, but it's also the second to last chapter. Please review, sorry for the wait...oh and check out my new story :) Take care!**

  
  


Disclaimer: I don't know them, they don't know me.

  
  
Chapter 17 

"It's getting dark," Kento said staring out of the jeep window, "I don't like it...It's too dark."

Ryo was frowning, "As childish as it sounds, he's right. It's not time for it to be this dark...unless a storm is blowing in. It feels so wrong."

"It's the Darklings," Mia said with a nod.

"Do you think they've found Sylvia?" Kento wondered.

"Who cares about that? Do you think they've found Sage?" Ryo was tapping his fingers nervously against the glass pane, "Mia, can you drive faster? We have to see if they are there, so if they aren't we can go looking for them immediately.."

"I am really, really scared," Kento said from the backseat, "At least with Talpa we knew what we were fighting, and we...we were equipt to fight him. With these things...Shit, we can't even see them! And we left Rowen's gadget at home!" He looked up at the frighteningly pitch black sky, "I am really, really scared."

"What are you Shivoni, and what is he?" Rowen asked very bluntly, he had no time to try being polite, "Why did you leave him? How did you know where to find us?"

Shivoni glanced at Rowen sharply and answered with a question of her own, "Where are you taking him?"

"We're taking him to his mother's hospital..."

"No, he cannot go there..."

"Why not?"

"Other place! Where else can we go?!" Shivoni waved her hand impatiently, her tone so authoritative that Cye shook his head and answered, "We can meet our friends..."

"In a private indoor area?"

"Yes."

"Good, I will tell you all you need to know then. Now, we concentrate on moving quickly. THEY will find us easily in this location."

Rowen and Cye passed inquiring glances at one another. Why were they doing what this woman said? She was a complete stranger to them. For all they knew, she could be yet another Witch leading them into a trap. But their hearts told them that she wasn't, their hearts told them to trust her... So they continued on their route to the old apartment building. 

This was no ordinary woman. The two boys moved incredibly fast in their armors, the pace they set was impossible for a normal human to keep up. Shivoni walked along side of them, never falling out of stride with them, and not even breaking a sweat. She wasn't even breathing hard! 

It was a 15 minutes trip to the small complex. By the time they reached it, the sky was dark as onyx. Rowen gave an involuntary shudder, "It's not supposed to be this dark..."

"No, it isn't," Shivoni said in her low voice.

"They're coming," Sage whispered softly. Rowen frowned at his words, about to ask if Sage had meant the Darklings when Shivoni nodded solemnly, "They are close."

"Will they hurt me?"

"I am here to protect you..."

"Can you?"

Shivoni was quiet, "It is rather dark in this complex. Are you certain your friends are inside?"

Rowen and Cye blinked at Shivoni's subterfuge to Sage's question, "I sense them inside,

Cye said quickly after sharing a look with Rowen. As they neared the stairwell that would lead them to Mia's apartment, they heard a familiar voice shouting for them, "Rowen! Cye! You found him! Is he ok, why ya carrying him? Who's that lady?" Kento came bounding down the stairs. He readily embraced Cye and Rowen, and took Sage from them, frowning when the blond didn't stir to greet him. "How long's he been out? And who's the dame?"

"Kento, this is Shivoni, Shivoni, this is Kento... and he's pretty much been out of it ever since we found him... probably about an hour, huh? He snapped out of it for a few minutes back there, but he's pretty sick. We were gonna take him to a hospital, but we ran into her, and she said it was a bad idea."

Kento's frown deepened as they traveled up the stairs, "Shivoni...the witch that marked him? Really?"

Shivoni said nothing, but Cye nodded. When they approached the door, it was open, and Ryo and Mia stood ready to accept them. Kento pushed past them so he could lie Sage down on the couch. Mia followed after him anxiously, Ryo was about to follow when he laid eyes on Shivoni, "Who's this?"

"Ryo, Shivoni, Shivoni, Ryo," Rowen introduced the two briefly before pushing his way inside so he could shut the door an lock it behind him. "You guys run into any trouble out there?"

"No, did you?"

"Not really," Cye said. 

"So you're Shivoni?" Ryo asked as the walked to join Kento and Mia around the couch. Mia was kneeling beside Sage with her hand to his brow, "Kento...go wet a towel please... Cye, go find him a blanket." Cye and Kento nodded jogging off in different directions to complete their designated tasks. 

"Yes, I am Shivoni."

"I assume you show up now, because you can do something to help us?" Ryo raised as eyebrow, he was at his wit's end. He was a leader without a plan, or confidence that his tea would pull through and win this fight. Shivoni leveled Ryo with her silvery gaze, "No."

Ryo's face fell, "But... I can do something to help Sage."

"And what is that?" Rowen asked, "Can you cure him? You know what's wrong with him?"

Shivoni looked serene, she lightly put her hand over Mia's moving her hands from Sage's damp brow. She replaced Mia's cool palm with her own rougher palm, she closed her eyes and began to hum softly. The hum had no tune, it was rather flat and unpleasant. When she opened her eyes they looked cloudy and far-seeing, "He's been touched by one of Them.... a Witch." She removed her hand, and for first time looked worried.

"Yeah we know, the Witch's name is Sylvia. She wanted him for something, but from the way she was acting, and what she was saying, she did whatever she was trying to do wrong," Mia said, looking up to the older woman, startled by her strange appearance, and odd eyes...they reminded her of Sage's. 

"That idiot. I sensed she was young.... the young ones know nothing of us. If she had, she never would have gone after him."

"What is US?" Rowen questioned, "What are you, and what is he?" 

"I notice you have the same eyes...."

Shivoni took a light breathe and gazed at each of the young people before her, "We are simply known as the Silver Ones...our race's existence stems from the beginning of time.. There have always been Silver Ones. We are the psychics, the witches, the scientists, and scholars....we are the Children of Light."

"There are many of you?" Ryo asked, he glanced down at Sage who trembled, as he slept fitfully. Kento returned with the damp towel, handing it to Mia, and taking a seat on the floor beside her. He didn't utter a word, he sensed that an important conversation was going on that didn't need to be interrupted. He'd have Ryo or someone tell him what he'd missed out on later. 

"Yes....but not here."

"Not here? What do you mean by that? There aren't many in Japan? Is that why you went to America?"

Shivoni actually cracked a small smile then, as she shook her head, "No child, that is not why I went to America. I went to America because I had to tend to another Lost Child in need of me. I sealed Sage off to protect him while I was away....I was going to take him with me when I returned."

"Another Lost Child? And take him where?"

"Children of Light are not of this plane, child. There was an accident long ago, and some of our race was lost to us..they were scattered throughout the 7 planes. Some lost their memories and started families and blending with other races.... The mixed blood thins the Silver... but in some children, true children, the power remained strong."

"Sage?"

"Is one of those children...a Lost Child. Their power is great enough to cry out to us in our Halls, and we come to return them to their rightful home where they can live in peace, shielded from the tortures of the wandering thoughts and turmoil of emotion from the untrained, unknowing minds of the other planes."

"You...you were going to take Sage away? Are you going to take him away now?" Kento looked ready to fight.

Shivoni was quiet, "He is linked to a Witch. He cannot be removed as long as he is linked to this realm by magic."

"But Sylvia said something was wrong with the link...even you said she didn't know better... And, Sage saw her for the monster she was. She's lost her power over him."

"Sage is not linked to the young one..."

"What?"

"The young one, this Sylvia, she is not alone. She had an elder..."

"Her mother."

"And this elder is very ill.... she came to Japan in search of a being with the means to heal her elder."

"Sylvia's mother is sick.... oh man.... so Sylvia linked Sage to her, and..."

"Yes."

"But...why didn't they just ask? Sage has healing powers, he would have just healed her."

"A Witch does not get ill in a way that can be healed with what Sage has.... she needed life energy... this spell of transference kills the being that the energy is being drawn from. Sage is not the being Sylvia though he was, she knows nothing of us, and when one attempts a spell unprepared using strong magic they go awry. In this case, Sylvia's mother's illness has been transferred to Sage, so that they feel the same pain, but her mother is still dying, but now her immanent death will be reciprocal to Sage's."

"Sage's? Are you saying he's dying?"

"If the elder Witch dies, then Sage will die as well."

"Oh God, what do we do? How do we stop this?"

"We must undo what has been done."

"And how do we do that?"

"The casting Witch must break the link."

"Sylvia hates us."

"She must break the link, or no one can help him... she does not have to be present, she simply has to agree to release her magic."

"Perfect..." Kento sighed, "So we gotta deal with Queen Bitch again, and somehow convince her to help us...."

"We must FIND Queen Bitch again, as well," Cye said, sounding as hopeless as Kento had. He had returned a minute after Kento and had wrapped Sage up in a blanket. Rowen made a face at Cye, "We'll have no problem finding her. I know where she is.... I just don't know what we could say without her blowing us up."

"She will not attack you again...another outburst while the Darklings are too near will attract them right to her."

"That's nice to know... but still..."

"We could offer to protect her...maybe we could tell her that you and Sage could help her. I mean, Sage did a good job of getting rid of the Darklings and their familiar the last time we dealt with them. If he could do it, without knowing what he was doing...I'm sure you could."

"Silver Ones have no quarrel with the Darklings, they respect our territory, as we respect theirs."

"But they're killing people, and trying to take over everything..."

"The Darklings are limited to their own plane. They cannot survive here for long, as the Witches have discovered the hard way. The young ones are more resilient, but soon Sylvia will start to feel the same effects as her elder. You do not have to worry about the Darklings."

"The Darklings seemed pretty interested in Sage... they sent a familiar to get him. He almost was taken from us..."

"They attempted to seize a Lost Child?"

Rowen nodded, "Yeah.. Twice."

Shivoni blinked, her mouth a straight line, "I will have to speak with Council."

"Is there a problem?"

"The Darklings are not to touch our Children... if they were to take one... they would have something to use against us. We care about nothing, but the well being of our people."

"He'd be a hostage? What about the other Lost Children? Couldn't the Darklings take them too?"

"The Children that shine have been returned. Darklings can only sense the ones they can see...Sage's seal unraveled when the Witch placed her spell on him, so the Darklings saw... and after gazing at my seal, knew I was not in close proximity, and that there was a Witch linked to him."

"So Sage is a sitting duck?"

"Not anymore. He is under my protection now from the Darklings....but not the Witch. You must go to her and convince her to break the link, without that, Sage is lost to us."

"Dammit! How come nothing we have to do can ever be easy?" Kento whined.  
  


Sylvia sat beside her mother in a cold plastic chair she had dragged beside the bed stroking her long silken hair, "I've failed you Mommy, and now They are coming. They are too close for me to even try to leave this world now. I was foolish and should have left a long time ago. I should have known I'd never be able to make a spell like this work. All I've done is doomed you, and... him." She shuddered to think of him, her Sage. 

Or rather the person she used to think of as her Sage, the new entity she had dealt with in Sage's shell was like nothing she had ever seen before. His power hurt her... nothing hurt her, but the Darklings' energy. But Sage was not a Darkling, he craved light too much, and seemed to be the living embodiment of it. 

She hadn't known him at all after all, just as he hadn't known her. She figured it was only fair, for after all she had marked him for death, so in return he had also marked her for it. She sat and trembled as she awaited her fate. They would be there soon, she gazed out the window at the darkening sky, and began to loosely braid her mothers hair. 

Waiting was hell.

  
  


**Be kind and review :)**


	19. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: Oh my God!! No, it's no joke, I'm updating this story. In fact, I've finished this story. I've got Chapter 19 and Epilogue ready to go. But I'm going to space out the posting a bit to see if I can get some reviews lol ;). Hope you like this one!**

  
  
  
  


Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, poor, yadda, yadda, own nothing, blah, blah, if you sue you'd only be getting my piggy bank with an I O U in it, yadda, yadda... Have a nice day :). 

  
  


Chapter 18   
  


"Do you really think she's going to do anything that may help us?" Cye asked Ryo, who looked dubious. They had split into to groups, Cye and Ryo, who were the least offensive to Sylvia going to the hospital where Rowen predicted she would be, and Kento and Rowen staying at the apartment with Sage, Mia, and Shivoni. 

"She's got to be desperate by now.... Judging from how dark it is outside now, those things are about to make their move. She might jump at any chance to save herself," Ryo said. They approached the main desk, and Cye got the receptionist's attention politely.

"Excuse me... Hi, I'm Cye Mouri, and this is my friend Ryo Sanada, we attend the local high school. One of our classmates, Sylvia Weald's mother has taken ill, and we heard she's been here all alone. We wanted to surprise her and show her that she has our support. Could you direct us to the room where we might find her?"The receptionist smiled at Cye, it was refreshing to talk to someone with good manners after a long day of listening to barking doctors, hysterical patients, and family members. "Lets see... Weald....room 304."

"Thank you so much ma'am, we really appreciate this."

"No problem honey."  
  
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Sylvia knew they were coming before they entered without knocking. "What do you want?" she hissed at their entrance. They hadn't brought him, so she had nothing to fear. She glared at them as they positioned themselves in front of the bed. 

"The Darklings are here Sylvia and they're looking for you." 

"Tell me something that I don't know, Ronins, I tire of you."

"We know of someone who may be able to help you," the Warrior of Trust, stepped in front of the Warrior of Virtue. 

"Do you?" Sylvia narrowed her eyes. Why were they playing these games with her? Perhaps they thought their was something she could do for them... "In helping me, what would you gain?"

"You release Sage from the bond your bond you've made, you're killing him," the Warrior of Trust, Cye, stated his terms. "In saving him, you'll gain your protection. We'll need you to come with us, after you've released the bond."

"Release him? Oh, you mean to severe the ties... You are assuming I know how right?" Sylvia batted her eyes. They were drawing nearer, she could feel the darkness enclosing. 

"You don't know how?" Virtue, Ryo exclaimed. "You cast a spell on an improper subject, and don't know how to reverse it? What kind of a Witch are you?"

"A dead one," she said evenly... "I'm... very sorry for the loss of your Warrior of Light...bearer of Wisdom. He... he really did mean something to me. If I could do this over again, I'd have chosen one of you instead, not him. He's too precious to be dealt such a fate as the hand I've given him. I'm a failure as a Witch, and with me, the last of our kind will be extinguished. Maybe that's not such a bad thing. There will be no more casualties that empty the world of ones such as Sage. So beautiful..." A single tear slid from her eyes down her cheek. "I never meant to love him..."

"Can't you try something?" Ryo demanded, "Can't you experiment? He's still alive, right now... he won't leave until your mother does. You still have time, and we'll help you."

Sylvia sighed deeply, her eyes dark and cloudy, "Time has elapsed for me. I can't break the bond, it's too late."

"It's never too late! Where are your tools, your books? We'll help you look..."

Sylvia watched Ryo breaking down in front of her, "You poor things, look what I've done to you."

Ryo was about to scream at her, when the room grew chilly. Sylvia's eyes widened, "So...you've found me." Her voice shook as she tried to appear strong and fearless before the Darklings. Six fully grown shadows inhabited the room. They smiled at her, before removing their cloaks of darkness. "So you are men, after all," Sylvia whispered, staring at their true forms. Six tall elegant men gazed at her, wicked smiles carved on each one of their faces. They were pale and thin, each with a varying shade of blond hair, and blue eyes. Why...they looked like her. Her stomach churned... why did they look like her?

"Sylvia," one said, his voice smooth like French vanilla creme.

Sylvia reached for her mother's limp hand, squeezing it tight, "This is it Momma, goodbye." She shut her eyes waiting for the embrace of death.

  
  
  
  


"STOP!" came a cry from Cye, his voice horrified, "Why do you have to kill them? They're only a girl and an ill woman... They can't hurt anyone."

Ryo was still stunned at the appearance of the six men, they'd appeared from thin hair...they were the Darklings? Why could he see them now, and hear them speak? And.. He gazed at Sylvia's trembling form.... they resembled her. Were Witches and Darklings of the same race? They did come from the same world. 

The men looked at Cye, uninterested, "She is a Witch, we kill all Witches...and she is the Witch that has stolen from us, what is ours. We have no plans to stay in your world after this."

"But..." Ryo stopped Cye, "They said they'd leave Cye. Let them go on."

"Sage..."

"He's a Ronin Warrior Cye, he's pledged to die for the greater good."

Cye lowered his head to his chest, not bothering to stifle his sobs of grief. That was it then...  
  


  
  


Sylvia covered her mother's form as the men crept closer, "Take me first, I beg you."

"We will take you... away from here, when we are through. Move girl."

"What?" Sylvia was flabbergasted, "Move? Take me away from here? What are you talking about? Kill me first!"

"We do not kill our own, now move aside girl."

Sylvia gasped, one hand flying over her mouth....we do not kill our own.... what were they saying....what were they saying...?

She was lifted like a baby, her grip on her mother's hand undone. She was set back on her feet beside one of the tall men, who gazed down at her with something akin to...affection, in his eyes. "Little sister home at last...but so big."

Little sister? "What are you talking about? I don't have any other living relatives but my mother...and if I did, they certainly wouldn't be Darklings!"

The ice blue eyes narrowed as they studied her, "You'll know all you need soon enough, child." He grabbed her arms to restrain her as she fought to free herself and shield her mother from the hands reaching to snuff out her life. 

Tears stung in her eyes as the woman began to pulsate as dark energy filled her. Her golden eyes flew open as her mouth hung agape gasping for breath.... She was dying... They were killing her."Momma!!" Sylvia wailed, her knees went weak and she crumpled at the feet of the Darkling that had been restraining her, "Oh Mommy..."  
  


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"Good gods what's happening to him?" Kento exclaimed helping Rowen hold Sage down as he convulsed. His eyes were open, full of horror, and the choking gasps coming from him made Kento want to wet his pants. 

"He's having a seizure..." Rowen was muttering, trying to turn Sage onto his side to keep him from swallowing his tongue.

"The old one is dying," Shivoni said, her eyes closed as her focus seemed to be elsewhere, "the Darklings are with her now."

"Cye and Ryo are there too," Kento whispered. "What do we do if the Darklings get them too... then we'll lose all three of them."

"We're not losing anybody!" Rowen all but yelled, he rolled Sage onto his side, rubbing the boy's back, "Hold on there, Sage, it's gonna be ok." 

"Shivoni, can't you do something, something at all?" Mia watched the scene unfolding before with tears in her eyes. She was losing one of them! 

Shivoni's silver eyes snapped open then, confused... "There are 7 Darklings, not 6."

"What?" Mia peered at the woman.

"So what?" Kento stood up to tower over Shivoni, "Are you going to tell us why we should care that there's one more Darkling than you thought?"

"Only 6 Darklings came through... but now there are 7...it seems as if one has emerged right there... It..." she paused, her face taking on a calculating look. "It's the girl... Of course, it's the girl."

"What's the girl? What are you talking about?" Kento was trying very hard not to get angry and failing. "Stop speaking in code woman. Can you save Sage or not?"

"The girl is one of them...she placed the mark, and cannot remove it because she is unskilled....but since it is the mark of a Darkling...then they... Of course.... That is why...of course!"

"I'm about to kill this lady," Kento growled, "Somebody better hold me back, if they want her still alive for something."

"There's no need, Kento," Mia spoke softly, her eyes locked on the place Shivoni once stood. "She's gone."

"Holy shit!" Kento gapped as the woman was gone without a trace. "Where do you think she went? You think she went to Ryo and Cye to help them? You think she's going after Sylvia?" 

"I don't care about that right now..." Rowen murmured lowering his head to Sage's chest...the blond had stilled, his eyes closed. Kento and Mia were quick to join him, down on their knees beside Sage. 

"R...Rowen?"

"H...he's not breathing, and I don't feel a pulse...""What?" Kento gathered the blond's limp body in his arms, shaking him, and putting his own head to his chest to try to decipher a heart beat. Nothing, no rise and fall of the chest, no pumping artery... 

"He's dead... Gods, he's dead..." Rowen uttered gravelly.

"No, no, no!! Dammit Blondie!" Kento laid the body back out, pumping the still chest furiously, and pinching the finely shaped nose closed, so he could push air through the slightly parted lips, into empty lung cavities. "You can't die on us, not yet! I won't let you... we won't let you!"  
  
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Ryo held Cye close, letting the boy weep on his shoulder. He let his own head rest in Cye's soft hair. He couldn't cry... one of his friends, his warriors, was dying...and he couldn't cry. He just watched, he watched Sylvia's mother, Sage's lifeline, being invisibly strangled to death. He listened to the hard wracking sobs of Sylvia, hidden behind one of the tall men who hoovered around the bed like ghouls waiting to feast on a fresh dead body. 

"He's gone Ryo... I can't feel him in the web anymore..."

Ryo knew. Sage's place in the web was now a blank void, the connection severed forever. What were they going to tell his family? Ryo had never thought much about having to inform family members of deaths, because, well he'd always figured they'd all die together. He never thought he'd have to deal with the death of any of his friends, because he'd be the first to go, and the others would follow shortly after. 

"We should go now, Cye. The others, they need us," Ryo whispered into the grieving boy's hair. 

He felt Cye nodded under him, and he steered the boy's body in a complete circle, toward the door. "What's that?" Cye asked suddenly, startling Ryo, by straightening and pulling out of his hold. Ryo turned with him to see the odd silvery light dancing into the room. "Shivoni?"

"Silver One..." a Darkling hissed as the small woman appeared. "You have sworn not to interfere..."

"I am not here to interfere..." Shivoni's voice was commanding and carrying. She looked down on Sylvia, something igniting in her eyes, before speaking again, "Your kind had also sworn not to interfere with mine."

"The boy?"

"The girl has marked him."

"The mark on the boy led us to the girl, it smelled of our magic. She is a lost sister."

"Yes, yes I see that now. But what she has done, must be undone, by writ of Orestes. Though the girl had not fully confirmed her identity as being among your race, she is of full blood, binding her to the law."

"I...I..." Sylvia stuttered from the floor, "I can't save him. I don't know how to reverse it, please...!"

"Can one of you?" Shivoni implored, gazing at the tall men. "What's going on?" Cye whispered to Ryo who shrugged. Was Shivoni pleading on Sage's behalf? But wasn't it too late? They gazed at the woman on the bed, she was still...but her monitors...her EKG still beeped weakly. She was still alive, but not for much longer. Hurry Shivoni, if you can do something, hurry!  
  
******************************************************************************************************************************

"Breathe Blondie...come on, breathe!" Kento blew into Sage's mouth again, as Rowen took over the job of pumping his chest. Mia watched hopelessly, wanting to tell the boys to stop, to give up he was gone, but not having the heart.

"Sage please...if you can hear me..." Kento was calling, in between breathes salty with tears.   
  


******************************************************************************************************************************

The one that always stood nearest to Sylvia, the one who had held her, and called her sister...he approached the bed, leaning over the dying Witch. He rested a palm on her forehead, "My sister has woven quite a mess... The Witch who stole and raised her was foolish... their magic and ours are different. She'd corrupt any spell she touched..."

"I never worked any magic..." Sylvia spoke softly. "She said I wasn't ready..." The man looked at her so lovingly...and he still spoke of her mother as the Witch who stole her... Who did he think she was? He kept calling her sister, and he looked so familiar, so like her. They all did.

The mark Sylvia had placed on her mother's forehead began to glow a deep evil red, the distinctive lines and curves bending and melding into one another until they flattened into nonexistence. The man pulled his hand away, and all watched the heart monitor as it slowed, then gave a wailing beep that was soon silenced by will of mind. 

She was gone...

"Momma..." she whispered. Strong arm hauled her to her feet, suddenly she was staring into a pair of intense blue eyes, "She was not your mother."

"Yes she was...she's the only mother I know...and YOU KILLED HER!" Sylvia's body began to throb with dark energy as she poised herself for attack.

"Stop it sister, you'll hurt no one but yourself," another one said.

"Why do you keep calling me that?" She wanted to lash out, but she was still afraid of them...they were older than she, and strong..she could sense their power. "Who are you?"

"We are your brothers, Sylvia...or rather, Anaya, that's what mother named you. You are one of us....look at your power, and compare it to that of ours. Look at us, do we not resemble each other?"

"No.."

"Sylvia, have you never questioned why she would never let you practice magic? Why you could feel us?"

"No.."

"You are Warlock, Sylvia, you are Anaya Cosle, not Sylvia Weald. That woman took you when you were but a small child, in replacement for her own child that she'd abandoned to die as she ran in fear of us. She took you out of revenge. We've been searching for you ever since..."

"That is why you chased us?""Yes. She is the last Witch, but holding on to you, made us have to use more care in our pursuit of her. You couldn't be harmed. You gave her an advantage... and since you are Warlock, you can sense us when we are near."

"I was used...but she loves...loved...me."

"There's no denying that she did..."

"And you...you'll love me now?"

"As best as we can love."

Sylvia nodded slowly... She had always known the day she would be parted with her mother was coming, but shed always assumed she would be alone afterwards. She'd just gained 6 companions...brothers. They would look after her now. She didn't have to worry about surviving on her own, or being lonely... and... "Brother...?"

"Shie."

"Shie, were you able to undo what I've done? Did you..save the boy?"

"I do not know, but the bond you created has been severed. If the boy hadn't already expired he will be fine."

"If he hadn't already expired?" Sylvia frowned. 

"You've done all you can child, don't trouble yourself... Silver One, all that could be done has been. You cannot blame a Young One for her ignorance. There should be no quarrel between us."

Shivoni nodded solemnly, "No, there is none. Thank you for your attempt."

The Darkling nodded. All 6 gathered, fencing Sylvia inside the network of their bodies, "What are you doing? Are we leaving?" 

"Yes, we are going home now."

"Home? I have a home?"

"Yes, Anaya, mother would like to see you."

"Mother..." her sad eyes tried to drift back to the still form on the bed.

"We leave now Silver One, and we are not to be followed, for next time we meet the encounter may not be such a friendly one."

  
  


Shivoni watched stone faced as the 7 figures vanished as if they had never been in the room.

Cye and Ryo looked to Shivoni, "We can't feel him in the web... Is he...?"

"We must go to him at once."

Shivoni strode to the boys, pulling them into her embrace, and together they vanished in a flash of silver light.  
  


  
  


**Author's Note: Let me know when you want Chapter 19...IF you want it, lol. Take care and please review!**


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

  
  
  
  
  
  


"Come on...come on..." Kento kept bowing into his mouth, Rowen kept pumping...Mia stood, "Stop guys, stop. He's gone... He's gone."

"No!" Rowen shook his head, "We can't give up now...we've still got 2 minutes before it's been too long. We're gonna keep trying until then!"

"Damn right..." Kento uttered, giving Sage another breath. Mia covered her face with her hands...fine... she'd let them be. She'd let them do what they felt they had to, to ease their consciences for later. They would be able to say that they had done all they could. 

"1...2....3...." Rowen was giving the counts, "1....2...."

Kento jumped back, when Sage began to cough and sputter, "B..Blondie?" He rolled the boy onto his side and rubbed his back as he continued to choke. Mia let out a hysterical little laugh of happiness, rushing forward and falling to her knees by Kento and Rowen. 

They let the blond get his bearings, before questioning him of his welfare, "Are you ok? Are you alright? You feeling ok?" Rowen placed himself on the couch beside the blond instead of kneeling on the floor just before him. He pulled the boy to his chest, and hugged him tight when the blond let his head rest on him. His body was warm, and Rowen could feel his chest expanding and contracting with each breath he took. He was alive! 

Kento still rubbed the Sage's back, even after Rowen had pulled him into a sitting position. He couldn't speak, and felt he had to touch Sage to let him feel his presence. Mia laid a hand on Sage's forehead, frowning, "You've still got a fever honey....but not as bad as before. Do you feel ok?"

Sage looked drowsy, his large grey eyes were heavy, "I still don't feel good... but..."

"But?"

"I think it's over..."

"It's over..." Mia stood to her feet going to the nearest window to open a blind. It was evening, so the sky was still dark..but not unusually so. The various blends of blue painting the night sky were clearly visible. "It's over."

"Sage?" Rowen whispered, as the blond fell asleep against his chest. "Poor guy."

Kento covered him with a blanket, and placed a hand on his cheek, "He is still too warm."

"Warm is good for now," Rowen sighed, nuzzling his face in Sage's hair. 

A bright flare of light nearly blinded them all, and in the midst of it suddenly appeared Shivoni, Ryo, and Cye. "Sage!" both Cye and Ryo cried, starting to rush forward, but both Rowen and Kento glared at them in warning, Rowen holding a finger to his lips to silence them. With his head he gestured to the blond, his eyes telling them, He's sleeping.

"Is he ok?" Cye lowered his voice immediately, ashamed. "I felt…we felt…"

The still sickly tone of Kento's flesh, the wild look in Rowen's eyes, and the tear trails on Mia's cheeks let Ryo and Cye know what they had felt hadn't been wrong. "My gods…"

"Thought he was dead for a good minute there," Kento breathed with a tiny laugh. "Should have known this son-of-a-bitch is too stubborn to die on us. But he sure scared the hell out of me… I'm gonna kick his ass when he gets better.."

Shivoni moved silkily to take her place beside Sage, placing a hand on his brow. Her eyes looked far away for a moment before she smiled, "He's going to be fine."

"Good…good," Rowen murmured. "How long's he gonna be sick like this?"

Shivoni gazed at Rowen, her odd silver eyes drinking him in, "The fever will subside in a day or two, the other symptoms will have to run their course. The Witch had somehow contracted a human case of pneumonia, and it of course mutated in her inhuman body. Her immune system was not accustomed to such things. That is why Sage got so ill. Through the link, the virus was transferred, as was the inability to fight it; but now that it has been severed his normal immunities will begin to fight off the infection."

"Translation, we still need to see that he gets to a doctor to be checked over," Rowen said to Kento and Ryo who looked lost. 

"Oh."

"Are you staying Shivoni? What about his… his powers? We've gotten to see a little of his ability, are we to have more surprises?" Mia away from the window and joined the group in their huddle around Sage.

"No, I'm not staying. I have other work to do. I've rebound him."

"But…"

"It's not permanent, this bind is meant to break…bit by bit, so that he may adjust to his power."

"You think he'll be ok like that? I mean I saw him just an hour ago with his power released. He was going crazy…"

Shivoni smiled then, stroking Sage's golden hair, "He'll have a teacher."

"And will he be like you?" Cye asked curiously.

"What do you mean like me? A Silver One, of course,…"

"No, someone like you, scouting between the worlds finding Others…"

"No, not like me," Shivoni chuckled. "One like me never rests, never settles. I'll never have time to be a proper teacher. The one who will come will be someone who will have time for it all."

"And once Sage is ready…once he's learned, will he have to go away?" Ryo watched the woman nervously.

Shivoni sighed, "It is what usually happens…but he his destiny here will delay his homecoming."

"The armors will keep him here with us?"

"Yes."

"And after all of that…?"

"He will join us then."

"And if he doesn't want to…?"

"By that time, he will want to. It is extremely difficult for one of us to survive for very long here once we've fully extended our senses and have actualized our potential. The ones who've foolishly stayed have long gone insane, and were beyond all rescue attempts on our part. He will want to depart…sooner than you wish to believe. You will not see me again, until then."

Mia and the four boys were quiet, pondering what Shivoni had said. "So, you're saying he's going to want to leave us?"

"Yes."

"I won't believe that," Rowen shook his head, "Its crap. Sage will never want to leave us or his family behind."

Shivoni looked a trifle sad, she removed her hand from Sage's hair and rose to her full height, which wasn't impressive. "His teacher will arrive in a few days when the first of the bind begins to break."

"But you said he…" Cye's voice trailed off, as the strange woman disappeared, "won't be better for at least a week…"

"How rude," Kento huffed. "I hate when people disappear when you're talking to them; it's annoying as hell."

"How many people have you had do it to you?" Ryo questioned.

Kento made a face, "The Warlords for one."

"They don't count."

"Well… how come they don't count? They would count if you were trying to say the same thing!"

Ryo smirked, "I wonder what this teacher of Sage's will be like?"

"I don't know," Rowen muttered, still looking sour on the whole idea. He shifted Sage a bit so he could peer into his sleeping face, "Come on, we gotta get this guy to a doctor. We can think about weird disappearing ladies later."

  
  
  
  
  
  



	21. Epiloge It only took 2 years to get thi...

Epilogue  
  
  
  


"My Mom's gonna kill me," Sage was mumbling rubbing his face with one hand, and staring at the IV lodged in the other. Rowen, Kento, Cye, and Ryo sat around the small bed in the private hospital room. 

"Yeah, probably so…but hey, she's gotta go through us first," Rowen patted his friend's back. 

"Did you have to bring me to a hospital of all places…you knew they'd admit me."

"The only other place open to give you medical attention at the hour we brought you in at was your Mom's. You don't rather we have gone there do you?"

"No," Sage looked away hastily scratching at the hand sporting the IV. "Is this thing really necessary?"

"You're dehydrated."

Sage pouted, and lay back in bed with a deep sigh. He stared at the ceiling for a while before letting his eyes fall on his friends forms, "You guys are gonna stay here all day?"

"Until they release you," Ryo shrugged. "Mia is bringing us a change of clothes and stuff. The chairs in here are actually really comfy."

"You don't have to, you know? You can go home… I'll be fine, except when my Mom and Dad come in to yell at me."

"They can't be too hard on you, man. You're sick. Even Mama Fuan would wait until I got better before she beat me," Kento said, getting harsh looks from the others. He was not helping Sage's nerves.

"We want to stay here with you. We had a close call the other day, and we…well, wanna be sure you're all right. Is that ok? If you don't want us here…"

"Oh no, no, stay. I just didn't want you to be here if you thought you had to be," Sage began twisting his blanket in his hands, he looked down at his lap. "Look guys… you… you've been great friends. You put up with me for the whole Sylvia ordeal, you took care of me when I was sick, you're still taking care of me in fact, and you saved my life. What I mean to say is, thank you. I know it's not enough, but I'll do something in the near future to make it up to you."

"Sage you don't have to feel indebted to us…"

"Speak for yourself… now, when you say, make it up to us… On what terms do you mean to make it up us? Does it mean doing homework, maybe getting a few free rides to school?"

"Kento!"

"What?"

"Sage you don't have to make anything up to us. If the tables were turned, I'm sure you'd do the same things for each one of us," Cye said. "It's what friends do. Isn't that right Kento?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Kento grumbled looking rather sullen as he watched visions of himself zipping around in Sage's sports car driving away from him. Well, he'd almost been cool for a few seconds there.

Rowen rolled his eyes at Kento, "So, here's the million dollar question Sage: How are you feeling?"

Sage actually flashed a small grin, "A lot better, thanks. I only feel half dead now."

"Your temperature has gone down," Cye commented placing a hand on his forehead. "That IV is doing you a lot of good, stop fiddling with it."

"It itches, and I don't like it."

"You know, I'll be glad when that fever of yours gets knocked out. I will never get used to hearing you whine and complain," Ryo was shaking his head.

"Share a room with him," Rowen retorted, and ducked Sage's glare. 

"What time did my parents say they were going to get here again?"

"At 9," Cye said, he glanced at the clock, "You've got another hour to worry."

Sage groaned, "They're going to kill me."

"We'll protect you."

"And who'll protect all of you?" Sage wanted to know. "Oh, we're all dead meat…"

"You're such an optimist."

"Runs in the family…"

"I'll never get used to him being sarcastic either," Ryo stated.

"Well you're going have to start getting used to a lot of new stuff about me Ryo," Sage said scratching at his IV again. 

"True… do you feel any different, I mean… weird power wise?"

"You're so eloquently spoken, Ryo… and, not really. Not yet… I can feel the bind loosening, but the power level is nowhere near what I had earlier this week. I can't say I miss it though."

"Can't say we miss it either," Kento snorted. "Though, the floating furniture bit was kind of cool."

"You would say that."

"What do you think of the teacher you're supposed to be getting."

Sage shrugged, "I'll think he or she is a god, if they can teach me to contain this thing. I don't ever want to be that out of control again…" his hands shook a bit as he recalled the previous day's nightmarish events. 

"And if there's anything we can do to help, don't be afraid to ask," Cye said gently. "I know you're not used to needing it, but oh well. As you said, there are a lot of things about you now that people are going to have to get used to, including yourself."

"I did say that, didn't?" Sage droned, looking absolutely miserable. He shot Cye a look under his lashes, "Well in that case… I'm hungry. Could one of you go and…" He was overwhelmed by the reaction he got. Every person in the room jumped to his feet ready to take his order. 

He blinked, "You guys weren't kidding, were you?"

"You haven't eaten anything substantial in a week, Sage," Rowen informed him. 

"Oh."

"What do you want Blondie, I'll go get it for you. I was looking to get a snack myself," Kento plopped down next to Sage, leaning his body forward so it was reclining parallel to Sage's upper torso and head. 

"I don't know… surprise me? But nothing with meat, or greasy, or salty, or sweet, or…"

"Geez, should I be writing all this down?"

"I'll get it for you," Rowen volunteered himself. 

"Shouldn't someone ask his doctor what's ok for him to eat?" Cye interrupted. "He might tell us he can't have anything while he's on the IV."

"But that's terrible!" Kento looked horrified. "The doctor can't tell you, you can't eat!"

"I most certainly will not," all heads looked to see the source of the new voice. A young doctor with jet-black hair, and slanted green eyes stepped into the room. He wore the typical white overcoat, and dress shirt, but had no tie. He also wore jeans, and tennis shoes. 

Intern, Rowen dubbed him as, immediately.

"You can eat what you want, as long as it's not human… don't think Shivoni, or the Elders would approve of that much." 

All eyes went wide, "You?"

"Me," the man grinned, he looked even younger when he smiled. "I'm Kelsin. Call me Kelly, and I'll kill you."

"You're going to be my teacher?"

"Yup."

"You're going to be my doctor too?"

"Oh…no… I um…borrowed the coat. I just thought I'd make a cool entrance you wouldn't be expect. The flashy silver lights and appearing out of thin air thing is way too overdone."

They all blinked at the young man before them, who in turn threw his head back and laughed, "Well I can tell I'm going to have some fun with you guys. So, I hear you guys have a big house. When can I move in? I want to get started right away!"  
  
  
  
  
  


THE END 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note: Whoo hoo! Stick a fork in me I'm done! (Yeah, yeah, cheesy much?) Anyways, thank you to everyone who has ever reviewed this story, and encouraged me to continue. Special thanks to Split Persona, Bunches-o-Nuts, and Padawan Travina... they really know how to bug the hell out of people about things not being finished lol! I hope you all enjoyed this story, and I hope to hear what you thought about it in its entirety :). Take care, and I will be updating SOMETHING soon...I don't know what, because I'll tell you one thing, then update another, so we'll see lol.**   
  
  
  


  
  


  
  



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